How Do I Figure Out What Percentage My Income is of the FPL?

Eligibility Team
Researcher & Writer
January 17, 2016

FPL, or the "federal poverty level", is the official measure of poverty used to determine a household’s eligibility for aid and services.

The FPL is evaluated and determined each year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The FPL is determined using the FPL from the previous year and then making changes to reflect inflation and expected price increases over the next year.

There is one FPL issued for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. Alaska and Hawaii set their own FPL due to differences in the economy in those two states.

The FPL is not the same for all households because it is determined by family size. The FPL for a family of two is not going to be the same as a family of 8. The following table provides the breakdown of the percentages of FPL based on family size. When determining if your income qualifies, you have to find out what percentage of the FPL it lands in with relation to the number of people in your household.

The following table can be used as a guide:

Family Size
100%
120%
140%
150%
175%
200%
250%
1 $11,770 $14,124 $16,478 $17,655 $20,597.50 $23,540 $29,425
2 $15,930 $19,116 $22,302 $23,895 $27,877,50 $31,860 $39,825
3 $20,090 $24,108 $28,126 $30,135 $35,157.50 $40,180 $50,225
4 $24,250 $29,100 $33,950 $36,375 $42,437.50 $48,500 $60,625
5 $28,410 $34,092 $39,774 $42,615 $49,717.50 $56,820 $56,820
6 $32,570 $39,084 $45,598 $48,855 $56,997.50 $65,140 $81,425
7 $36,730 $44,076 $51,422 $51,422 $64,277.50 $73,460 $91,825

In order to determine your exact percentage of the FPL, you need to divide your income by the FPL for the size of your household. The answer will come out in decimal form. Move the decimal two places to the right and that is your percentage.

Here are a few examples.

Example 1:

A single person with a household income of $24,680. The FPL for a 1-person household is $11,770.

$24,680 ÷ $11,770 = 2.09

That means this income is 209% of the FPL.

Example 2: 

A family of 5 with a household income of $42,000. The FPL for a 5-person household is $28,410.

$42,000 ÷ $28,410 = 1.47

That means this income is 147% of the FPL.

What if your family size is not on the chart? You have to add $4,160 per additional household member.

Example 3: 

A family of 10 with a household income of $100,000.

Step 1: $36,730 + ($4,160 x 3) = $49,210.

So $49,210 is the FPL for a 10-person household.

Step 2: $100,000 ÷ $49,210 = 2.03

That means the income is 203% of the FPL.

If you don’t want to try to figure it out on your own, there are also online calculators that will ask you for specific information and then figure out your income percentage for you. Although it is good information to have in advance, you also don’t have to figure it out yourself. When you apply for Medi-Cal, your percentage of FPL will be figured out while determining your eligibility.

Eligibility Team
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Eligibility Team
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