{
  "slug": "fpl-percentage-calculator",
  "title": "Federal Poverty Level Percentage Calculator",
  "heading": "FPL Percentage Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fpl-percentage-calculator",
  "summary": "Find your household's income as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level.",
  "description": "Dozens of federal and state benefit programs — Medicaid, CHIP, ACA marketplace subsidies, SNAP, LIHEAP, Head Start, and more — use your income as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to set eligibility rather than a flat dollar cutoff. The FPL itself is a household-size-adjusted baseline published annually by HHS, higher in Alaska and Hawaii than the other 48 states. Most programs set their eligibility threshold as a specific percentage of FPL: Medicaid expansion states typically cut off around 138% FPL, CHIP often extends to 200-300% depending on the state, and SNAP gross income limits are usually 130% FPL. This calculator takes your household size and annual income, applies the correct-year FPL guideline for your state group, and returns your exact percentage so you can quickly check it against whichever program's threshold you're evaluating.",
  "formula": "FPL% = (annual household income ÷ FPL guideline for household size) × 100.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=fpl-percentage-calculator",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "income",
      "label": "Annual household income",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 42000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "householdSize",
      "label": "Household size",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 12
    },
    {
      "id": "region",
      "label": "Region",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "48states",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "48states",
          "label": "48 contiguous states + DC"
        },
        {
          "value": "alaska",
          "label": "Alaska"
        },
        {
          "value": "hawaii",
          "label": "Hawaii"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "pct",
      "label": "Income as % of FPL",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "fpl",
      "label": "100% FPL for this household size",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gapTo138",
      "label": "Room below 138% FPL (Medicaid expansion)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gapTo400",
      "label": "Room below 400% FPL",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Annual household income: 42000 $",
      "Household size: 3",
      "Region: 48 contiguous states + DC"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Income as % of FPL: 162.7%",
      "100% FPL for this household size: $25,820",
      "Room below 138% FPL (Medicaid expansion): $0",
      "Room below 400% FPL: $61,280"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter annual household income ($).",
      "Enter household size.",
      "Enter region.",
      "Read your income as % of fpl on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "income": 25000,
        "householdSize": 2,
        "region": "48states"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "income": 42000,
        "householdSize": 3,
        "region": "48states"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "income": 67000,
        "householdSize": 5,
        "region": "48states"
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does the FPL differ for Alaska and Hawaii?",
      "a": "HHS publishes separate, higher poverty guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii to reflect their higher cost of living, roughly 25% and 15% above the base 48-state figure respectively. Using the wrong region's guideline can meaningfully misstate your eligibility percentage."
    },
    {
      "q": "Which programs use 138% FPL as a cutoff?",
      "a": "States that expanded Medicaid under the ACA generally set adult eligibility at 138% FPL, which is actually 133% FPL with a built-in 5% income disregard baked into the calculation. Non-expansion states use much lower, state-specific thresholds instead."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is FPL based on gross or net income?",
      "a": "Most programs use a form of gross income (before taxes), though the exact definition of countable income varies by program — some allow deductions for childcare, medical expenses, or earned income before calculating the percentage, so always check the specific program's income rules alongside this baseline calculation."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does FPL update every year?",
      "a": "Yes, HHS releases updated guidelines each January, generally adjusted for inflation. Applying a prior year's poverty line to a new year's eligibility determination can shift your percentage by several points, so always confirm you're using the correct year's figures for the specific benefit year in question."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/aca-subsidy-cliff-estimate",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/snap-allotment-estimate"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Federal Poverty Level Percentage Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fpl-percentage-calculator)"
}