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Prior HHS Poverty Guidelines and Federal Register References

Poverty guidelines since 1982 for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia can be calculated by addition using the figures shown below. (This simple calculation procedure gives correct guideline figures for each year, but it is not identical to the procedure by which the poverty guidelines are calculated from the poverty thresholds each year; see an example calculation.) Before 1982, the poverty guidelines were issued by the Office of Economic Opportunity/Community Services Administration.

Visit Historical Poverty Guidelines for a complete set of poverty guidelines and web links to their Federal Register notices.

NOTE: The poverty guideline figures below are NOT the figures the Census Bureau uses to calculate the number of poor persons.

The figures that the Census Bureau uses are the poverty thresholds.

HHS Poverty Guidelines

Year First
Person
Each
Additional
Person
(Four-Person
Family)
Page with
Complete Details
2023 $14,580 $5,140 ($30,000) Federal Register 2023
2022 $13,590 $4,720 ($27,750) Federal Register 2022
2021 $12,880 $4,540 ($26,500) Federal Register 2021
2020 $12,760 $4,480 ($26,200) Federal Register 2020
2019 $12,490 $4,420 ($25,750) Federal Register 2019
2018 $12,140 $4,320 ($25,100) Federal Register 2018
2017 $12,060 $4,180 ($24,600) Federal Register 2017
2016 $11,880 Varies ($24,300) Federal Register 2016
2015 $11,770 $4,160 ($24,250) Federal Register 2015
2014 $11,670 $4,060 ($23,850) Federal Register 2014
2013 $11,490 $4,020 ($23,550) Federal Register 2013
2012 $11,170 $3,960 ($23,050) Federal Register 2012
2011 10,890 3,820 ( 22,350) Federal Register 2011
2010 10,830 3,740 ( 22,050) Federal Register 2010 (Jan)
Federal Register 2010 (Aug)
2009 10,830 3,740 ( 22,050) Federal Register 2009
2008 10,400 3,600 ( 21,200) Federal Register 2008
2007 10,210 3,480 ( 20,650) Federal Register 2007
2006 9,800 3,400 ( 20,000) Federal Register 2006
2005 9,570 3,260 ( 19,350) Federal Register 2005
2004 9,310 3,180 ( 18,850) Federal Register 2004
2003 8,980 3,140 ( 18,400) Federal Register 2003
2002 8,860 3,080 ( 18,100) Federal Register 2002
2001 8,590 3,020 ( 17,650) Federal Register 2001
2000 8,350 2,900 ( 17,050) Federal Register 2000
1999 8,240 2,820 ( 16,700) Federal Register 1999
1998 8,050 2,800 ( 16,450) Federal Register 1998
1997 7,890 2,720 ( 16,050) Federal Register 1997
1996 7,740 2,620 ( 15,600) Federal Register 1996
1995 7,470 2,560 ( 15,150) Federal Register 1995
1994 7,360 2,480 ( 14,800) Federal Register 1994
1993 6,970 2,460 ( 14,350) Federal Register 1993
1992 6,810 2,380 ( 13,950) Federal Register 1992
1991 6,620 2,260 ( 13,400) Federal Register 1991
1990 6,280 2,140 ( 12,700) Federal Register 1990
1989 5,980 2,040 ( 12,100) Federal Register 1989
1988 5,770 1,960 ( 11,650) Federal Register 1988
1987 5,500 1,900 ( 11,200) Federal Register 1987
1986 5,360 1,880 ( 11,000) Federal Register 1986
1985 5,250 1,800 ( 10,650) Federal Register 1985
1984 4,980 1,740 ( 10,200) Federal Register 1984
1983 4,860 1,680 ( 9,900) Federal Register 1983
1982* 4,680 1,540 ( 9,300) Federal Register 1982
* Figures for nonfarm families only.