2018 Government Poverty Guidelines

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Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Last updated February 2018

Every year, the federal government establishes poverty guidelines to determine who is financially eligible for particular programs. The chart below tells you what the yearly income cut-offs are for 2018. These figures change every year in January and are available online at the US Department of Health and Human Services website.

Household
Size

100%
of Poverty

125%
of Poverty

200%
of Poverty
1 12,140 $15,175 $24,280
2 16,460 $20,575 $32,920
3 20,780 $25,975 $41,560
4 25,100 $31,375 $50,200
5 29,420 $36,775 $58,840
6 33,740 $42,175 $67,480
7 38,060 $47,575 $76,120
8 $38,890 $48,613 $77,780
4,320 $5,400 $8,640

 

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 12 (January 18, 2018) pp. 2642-2644.

Produced by Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, Federal Register 82 No. 19 (31 Jan 2017): p 8831and "State Median Income Estimates", USHHS, OCS, DEA, LIHEAP-IM-2017-03
Last updated January 2, 2018

Estimated state median income for a 4-person family

60 Percent of Estimated State Median Income*
1-Person Family 2-Person Family 3-Person Family 4-Person Family 5-Person Family 6-Person Family
$ 34,001 44,463 54,925 65,387 75,849 86,311

Source: Prepared by the FY 2018 LIHEAP Income Eligibility and Benefit Level Chart Learn more about Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

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