LIHEAP income limits, by household size
LIHEAP has no single national income limit. Instead, federal law gives each state a band, and the state picks its limit inside that band. Understanding the band is the key to understanding every income figure you will see quoted about LIHEAP, because most confusion comes from quoting one end of the band as if it were the rule everywhere.
The federal band, in plain terms
| Boundary | Rule |
|---|---|
| Floor: 110% of poverty guidelines | A state may not exclude a household solely because its income is below this figure. |
| Ceiling: the greater of 150% of poverty guidelines or 60% of state median income | A state may set its limit anywhere up to this figure, adjusted for household size. |
In a lower-income state, 150 percent of the poverty guidelines is usually the larger figure, so the state limit tracks the poverty guidelines. In a higher-income state, 60 percent of state median income is often larger, so the state can set a higher limit and cover more households. Both figures are adjusted for household size: larger households get larger limits. For state median income, the benchmark starts from the four-person family figure and is scaled — smaller households get a smaller percentage of it, larger households a larger one.
The 2026 poverty guidelines, and what 150% of them means
The table below uses the 2026 HHS federal poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Under LIHEAP guidance LIHEAP-IM-2026-01, dated April 24, 2026, these guidelines were optional for federal fiscal year 2026 programs and mandatory for fiscal year 2027 programs, so a state program may still be using the prior year's guidelines during its current program year. Alaska and Hawaii have higher guidelines: for a four-person household, $41,250 in Alaska and $37,950 in Hawaii.
| Household size | 100% poverty guideline, 2026 | 110% (floor) | 150% (one ceiling) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,960 | $17,556 | $23,940 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $23,804 | $32,460 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $30,052 | $40,980 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $36,300 | $49,500 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $42,548 | $58,020 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $48,796 | $66,540 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $55,044 | $75,060 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $61,292 | $83,580 |
For households larger than eight, add $5,680 to the guideline for each additional person, then apply the same percentages. Read this table correctly: the 150% column is arithmetic on the federal guidelines. It is not your state's limit. Your state's limit may be higher, if it uses the median-income figure, and it may be set at any point inside the band. The table tells you the range your state is choosing within; only your state's published limit tells you whether you qualify.
What counts as income
The LIHEAP statute does not define income in detail. Generally, income means gross income — before taxes — for the household. States differ on the counting period: some look at recent months, others annualize. Some states allow deductions, for example for medical expenses above a certain level, or for limited work-related costs such as child care. Some states count certain benefits as income and others do not. When you apply, report income honestly and completely, and let the agency apply its own counting rules; guessing at deductions yourself is the most common source of application errors.
Worked example
A single person earning $22,000 a year in a state that sets its limit at 150 percent of the poverty guidelines is under that state's $23,940 ceiling and passes the income test on that measure. The same person in a state that uses a lower limit inside the band might not. And a single person earning $28,000 a year is above the 150 percent figure but may still qualify in a state whose 60 percent of median income figure is higher. The state, not the table, decides.
Sources: 42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2); HHS Administration for Children and Families, LIHEAP-IM-2026-01 (federal poverty guidelines and state median income estimates); HHS ASPE 2026 poverty guidelines.