Nearly every income-based benefit in Massachusetts, from SNAP to MassHealth to ConnectorCare, decides eligibility by comparing your household income to the federal poverty level (FPL). The Department of Health and Human Services publishes new poverty guidelines each January, and the 2026 figures took effect when HHS released them in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. This page gives you the official 2026 chart, the common program multiples (130%, 185%, 200%, and so on), and a plain-English map of which Massachusetts programs use which percentage.
The Official 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines
These are the 2026 poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, published by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (aspe.hhs.gov). Massachusetts uses these figures; Alaska and Hawaii have their own higher tables.
| Household Size | 100% FPL (Annual) | 100% FPL (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $1,330 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $1,803 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $2,277 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $2,750 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $3,223 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $3,697 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $4,170 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $4,643 |
| Each additional person | +$5,680 | +$473 |
The structure is simple: $15,960 for one person, plus $5,680 for each additional household member. A family of four is $15,960 + (3 × $5,680) = $33,000. Every other number on this page is computed from that base table.
2026 Monthly Income at the Key Percentages
Benefit programs almost never use 100% of the FPL directly. They use multiples: 130% for federal SNAP gross income, 133% for MassHealth adults, 185% for WIC, 200% for the Massachusetts SNAP gross income test, and up to 400 percent for ConnectorCare (the temporary 500 percent pilot ended with the 2026 plan year). The table below shows monthly income at each key multiple for household sizes one through six.
A note on the math, since agencies round differently: each figure here is the annual guideline multiplied by the percentage, divided by 12, then rounded to the nearest dollar. For one person at 200%, that is $15,960 × 2 = $31,920 per year, or $31,920 ÷ 12 = $2,660 per month. Some agencies round monthly figures up to the next dollar, so their published charts can differ from these by a dollar or so. When you are close to a cutoff, use the agency’s own chart.
| Household Size | 100% | 133% | 150% | 200% | 300% | 500% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,330 | $1,769 | $1,995 | $2,660 | $3,990 | $6,650 |
| 2 | $1,803 | $2,398 | $2,705 | $3,607 | $5,410 | $9,017 |
| 3 | $2,277 | $3,028 | $3,415 | $4,553 | $6,830 | $11,383 |
| 4 | $2,750 | $3,658 | $4,125 | $5,500 | $8,250 | $13,750 |
| 5 | $3,223 | $4,287 | $4,835 | $6,447 | $9,670 | $16,117 |
| 6 | $3,697 | $4,917 | $5,545 | $7,393 | $11,090 | $18,483 |
The annual versions of the same multiples scale the same way. For a family of four: 133% is $43,890, 150% is $49,500, 200% is $66,000, 300% is $99,000, and 500% is $165,000 per year. Two other multiples come up often even though they are not in the table: 130% (the federal SNAP gross income test) is $20,748 per year for one person and $42,900 for a family of four, and 185% (WIC and reduced-price school meals) is $29,526 for one person and $61,050 for a family of four. Programs also occasionally use 135% (Lifeline), 250% (some hospital financial assistance policies), and 400% (the old ConnectorCare-adjacent subsidy cliff under the ACA).
Which Massachusetts Programs Use Which Percentage
Here is how the 2026 guidelines translate into Massachusetts eligibility rules. Percentages are the headline income tests; most programs also have deductions, disregards, or asset rules that can move the effective cutoff.
- SNAP (food stamps): 200% gross income. Massachusetts uses expanded categorical eligibility, so the gross monthly income test for most households is 200% FPL, not the federal 130% figure you may see on national websites. For 2026 that is $2,660 per month for one person and $5,500 for a family of four. Households with an elderly or disabled member can qualify above 200% in some situations. See our Massachusetts SNAP guide for the full rules.
- MassHealth for adults: 133% FPL. Adults age 21 to 64 generally qualify for MassHealth Standard or CarePlus at or below 133% FPL. Because federal rules add a 5% income disregard, the effective cutoff works out to about 138%. Children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities qualify at higher tiers: children up to 150% for Standard and up to 300% for CHIP-funded coverage, and pregnant women up to 200%.
- ConnectorCare: up to 500% FPL under the pilot. ConnectorCare, the state-subsidized Health Connector coverage, historically capped eligibility at 300% FPL. A state pilot expanded it to 500% FPL, and the Legislature has continued the expansion through the 2026 coverage year. At 500%, a single person can earn up to $79,800 and a family of four up to $165,000 and still qualify for a subsidized plan. Confirm the current cap at mahealthconnector.org before relying on it, since the pilot requires periodic reauthorization. For how ConnectorCare fits alongside MassHealth, see MassHealth vs. the Health Connector.
- WIC: 185% FPL. Pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children under five qualify at or below 185%. For 2026 that works out to $40,034 per year ($3,336 per month) for a household of two and $50,542 per year ($4,212 per month) for a household of three; WIC publishes its own rounded chart each spring. Anyone on MassHealth or SNAP is automatically income-eligible.
- School meals: 130% and 185%. Federally, free school meals go to households at or below 130% and reduced-price meals up to 185%. In practice this matters less in Massachusetts because the state made school meals universally free for all students, but the 130/185 tests still drive other benefits tied to meal eligibility.
- Lifeline phone and internet discounts: 135% FPL, or automatic eligibility through SNAP, MassHealth, SSI, and certain other programs.
- Fuel assistance (LIHEAP): not an FPL program. This is a common point of confusion. Massachusetts sets fuel assistance eligibility at 60% of the state median income, a different federal measure entirely. Because Massachusetts median income is high, the LIHEAP cutoff is often well above 200% FPL. Do not rule yourself out of fuel assistance because your income exceeds an FPL chart.
Guidelines vs. Thresholds: Two Different “Poverty Lines”
The federal government publishes two poverty measures, and they are not interchangeable. The poverty guidelines are the simplified administrative figures on this page: HHS issues them each January, they vary only by household size, and benefit programs use them to decide eligibility. The poverty thresholds are the Census Bureau’s more detailed statistical measure, which varies by family composition and the age of the householder. The Census uses thresholds to count how many Americans live in poverty; no benefit program uses them to screen applicants. If you are applying for benefits, the guidelines are the only number that matters.
When the Numbers Change
HHS updates the guidelines every January based on the prior year’s Consumer Price Index, so the 2027 guidelines should appear in mid-January 2027. Programs do not all switch on the same day. DTA typically updates SNAP income limits later (the federal SNAP year runs from October, and Massachusetts refreshes its FPL-based charts in the spring), MassHealth adopts the new figures in late winter, usually effective March 1, and the Health Connector applies the new guidelines when determining eligibility for the following plan year at open enrollment. That means two agencies can be using two different years’ FPL charts at the same time, which is normal. If a denial notice cites an income limit that looks outdated, ask which year’s guidelines were applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 200% of the federal poverty level for 2026?
For the 48 contiguous states, 200% of the 2026 FPL is $31,920 per year ($2,660 per month) for one person, $43,280 ($3,607) for two, $54,640 ($4,553) for three, and $66,000 ($5,500) for a family of four. Add $11,360 per year for each additional person. This is the gross income test for Massachusetts SNAP and the cutoff for many other state programs.
What income is “poverty level” for a family of 4 in 2026?
100% of the 2026 federal poverty level for a family of four is $33,000 per year, or $2,750 per month, in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. Most programs set eligibility at a multiple of that figure rather than at 100% itself.
Do Alaska and Hawaii have different poverty guidelines?
Yes. For 2026, Alaska’s guideline starts at $19,950 for one person plus $7,100 per additional person, and Hawaii’s starts at $18,360 plus $6,530 per additional person. Massachusetts and the other 47 contiguous states all use the standard table on this page.
When do the 2027 poverty guidelines come out?
HHS publishes new guidelines in the Federal Register each January; the 2026 figures appeared on January 15, 2026, so expect the 2027 guidelines around mid-January 2027. Individual programs adopt them on their own schedules over the following weeks and months.
Is the FPL the same as the federal poverty threshold?
No. The poverty guidelines (FPL) are the simplified HHS figures used for benefit eligibility. The poverty thresholds are the Census Bureau’s statistical measure used to count the poverty population. Benefit applications always use the guidelines.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2026 Poverty Guidelines, aspe.hhs.gov. Program rules summarized from DTA, MassHealth, and Health Connector eligibility standards; confirm current limits with each agency before applying.