Note: As the monetary value thresholds for determining FPG and FPL are updated each year, SHADAC also updates this blog annually to reflect current-year standards. This blog was last updated in February 2026.
When looking to understand how the federal government measures poverty across the nation, there are two key terms to know: FPG and FPL.
While the terms “FPG”—short for the “federal poverty guideline”—and “FPL”—short for the “federal poverty level”—can often seem interchangeable, FPG and FPL are not the same thing; there are, in fact, important functional differences between the two terms. So, what is the federal poverty level (FPL)? How is FPL different from the federal poverty guideline (FPG)? And what are the general purposes or uses of each?
This blog will answer these questions, explaining the key differences between federal poverty level and federal poverty guidelines. We also provide the current values of both FPL and FPG based on family size and household makeup.
What Is the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)?
The federal poverty level (FPL) is the income threshold below which a family, and every individual deemed to be a part of that “family unit,” is considered to be in poverty.[1] This specific definition of poverty is calculated by applying a “poverty threshold” to a family’s monetary income before taxes (e.g., earnings, Social Security, Veterans’ payment, etc.), not including capital gains or non-cash benefits (e.g., subsidies, assistance programs like SNAP, etc.) or other tax credits.
The FPL, also referred to as the “official poverty measure,” is calculated and published annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. The official FPL is updated yearly in order to reflect inflation (using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, or CPI-U) and is used primarily for statistical purposes—for example, to estimate the number of Americans who are considered to live in poverty each year.
The Census Bureau assigns each person or family a singular poverty threshold out of a possible 48, which can vary by family size (designated up to a nine-person family unit or more), number of children, and, in the case of one-person and two-person households, elderly status (age 65+). Unlike the FPG, which we’ll discuss in the following section, the FPL does not vary by state but remains the same across all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.)
Table 1. Poverty Thresholds for 2025 by Size of Family and Number of Related Children under 18 Years
Accessible versions of Table 1 found in the "Table 1 Accessible Alternatives" section.
| Aged 65 and up | $19,460 | $22,106 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Poverty thresholds. Note: The source of the weighted average thresholds is the 2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC).
What Is the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG)?
The federal poverty guideline (FPG) is a poverty threshold issued by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FPG is used for administrative purposes—most commonly, and importantly, for determining financial eligibility for federal programs.
FPG, like FPL, varies by family size. However, elderly status is not considered in FPG calculations, nor are the number of related children considered separately. Additionally, FPG is not uniform nationally: The 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) use the same FPG, while Alaska and Hawaii each have their own FPG.
Separate guidelines were established for Alaska and Hawaii as the result of a new practice implemented by the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) during 1966–1970. The OEO was established after the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) in 1964, which aimed to more directly counter poverty using federal money. After studies using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that the cost of living in Alaska and the cost of living in Hawaii was consistently higher than in the rest of contiguous states during the 1960s, the OEO allowed for different poverty thresholds to be created for AK and HI in order to offset cost of living differences and provide more equitable funding to these two states.
Other U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, do not have similar separate guidelines, however. FPG determinations for these territories are made by local program officials, who must either use the rate for the 48 contiguous states/D.C. or must provide some other calculation along with a justification for doing so.
Table 2. Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) for 2026
Source: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). Poverty Guidelines. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Federal Poverty Guideline vs Federal Poverty Level: Other Differences for Consideration
Another difference for consideration between FPG and FPL is that these two measures are released at different times relative to the year to which they apply: The Census Bureau issues its final FPL calculations in the year after the year for which poverty is being measured (e.g., the 2025 FPL, which reflects the calendar year 2025, was issued in February 2026). FPG, on the other hand, is issued by HHS in late January after the year for which poverty is being measured but is named for the year in which it is released (e.g., the 2026 FPG was issued in January 2026, but reflects price changes through calendar year 2025 only). Although the naming conventions for the FPL and the FPG seem to reflect different years, they do, in fact, provide measures for the same year and are therefore comparable.
Ultimately, the differences in FPL and FPG and how they are calculated mean that different numbers of people can be counted as below the same poverty threshold, with FPG calculations generally placing more people in lower poverty categories than FPL.
Current and future eligibility for Medicaid is based on FPG, as are the exchange-based, cost-sharing, and subsidies (advance premium tax credits or APTCs) that were established by the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). These programs affect a substantial and growing number of people, as the latest Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reports from January 2026 found that approximately 76.8 million people were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of October 2025 and approximately 23 million people signed up for health insurance coverage plans through the ACA marketplace as of the open enrollment period beginning on November 1, 2025.
As such, it is important to acknowledge that FPG is distinct from FPL in ways that have significant ramifications on a practical level.
Sources on FPG and FPL
U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty Thresholds. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html
U.S. Census Bureau. How the Census Bureau measures poverty. https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). Poverty Guidelines. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). Poverty guidelines, research, and measurement. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines/prior-hhs-poverty-guidelines-federal-register-references
Social Security Administration. (n.d.) Social Security Programs in the United States. Research, Statistics, & Policy Analysis. https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/sspus/appenv.html
Table 1 Accessible Alternatives
This section provides accessible options of Table 1.
Table 1A. Poverty Thresholds for 2025 by Number of Related Children under 18 Years for a One-Person Family Unit
Size of Family Unit | No Children |
|---|---|
One Person (Unrelated Individual), under Age 65 | $16,749 |
One Person (Unrelated Individual), Age 65 and up | $15,440 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Poverty thresholds. Note: The source of the weighted average thresholds is the 2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC).
Table 1B. Poverty Thresholds for 2025 by Number of Related Children under 18 Years for a Two-Person Family Unit
Size of Family Unit | No Children | One Child |
|---|---|---|
Two People, Householder under Age 65 | $21,558 | $22,190 |
Two People, Householder Age 65 and up | $19,460 | $22,106 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Poverty thresholds. Note: The source of the weighted average thresholds is the 2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC).
Table 1C. Poverty Thresholds for 2025 by Number of Related Children under 18 Years for a Three-or-More-Person Family Unit
Size of Family Unit | No Children | One Child | Two Children | Three Children | Four Children | Five Children | Six Children | Seven Children | Eight or More Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Three people | $25,183 | $25,913 | $25,938 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Four people | $33,207 | $33,750 | $32,649 | $32,762 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Five people | $40,045 | $40,628 | $39,384 | $38,421 | $37,833 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Six people | $46,060 | $46,242 | $45,289 | $44,376 | $43,018 | $42,213 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Seven people | $52,997 | $53,328 | $52,187 | $51,392 | $49,911 | $48,183 | $46,287 | N/A | N/A |
Eight people | $59,273 | $59,796 | $58,720 | $57,777 | $56,439 | $54,740 | $52,972 | $52,523 | N/A |
Nine or more people | $71,301 | $71,647 | $70,694 | $69,894 | $68,581 | $66,774 | $65,139 | $64,734 | $62,241 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Poverty thresholds. Note: The source of the weighted average thresholds is the 2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC).
[1] A “family” for these purposes refers to a family unit, which can be a single person household but cannot be any singular or multiple individuals living in nontraditional housing such as in group quarters (e.g., institutions, college dorms, military barracks, etc.). Additionally, a family unit does not include unrelated children under the age of 15.