For Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases filed in Connecticut on or after April 1, 2026, the median income threshold is $84,302 for a single filer, $106,224 for a two-person household, $134,470 for a three-person household, and $159,934 for a four-person household. If your annualized income from the six months before filing falls at or below the figure for your household size, you pass the Connecticut bankruptcy means test median income comparison and qualify for Chapter 7 without further financial scrutiny.1U.S. Trustee Program. Census Bureau Median Family Income By Family Size
Current Connecticut Median Income Figures
The U.S. Trustee Program publishes state-specific thresholds twice a year, with updates taking effect in April and November. For Connecticut filings on or after April 1, 2026:
- 1-person household: $84,302
- 2-person household: $106,224
- 3-person household: $134,470
- 4-person household: $159,934
For each additional person beyond four, add $11,100. A five-person household uses $171,034 as its benchmark.1U.S. Trustee Program. Census Bureau Median Family Income By Family Size
The figures that apply to your case are the ones in effect on the date your petition is filed, not the date you began preparing it. For a borderline filer, the gap between the April and November figures can be enough to flip the outcome, so filing date is worth paying attention to.
Counting Your Household
Household size sets the threshold you’re measured against, and a larger count means an easier pass. The count includes you, your spouse (whether or not they’re filing with you), and any dependents living with you. It can also include people you financially support, such as an elderly parent, if you cover at least half their expenses.
Federal bankruptcy law doesn’t give a single rule for who counts, and courts have taken different approaches. Some count every person who sleeps under the roof. Others count only IRS tax dependents. A third view counts everyone whose finances are intertwined with yours as one economic unit, which can include a domestic partner or an adult child you support. The trustee assigned to your case can challenge a count that looks inflated.
The one thing every approach agrees on: a roommate who pays their own way and shares no financial obligations with you is not part of your household. If you’re unsure how someone should be counted, that’s worth sorting out with a Connecticut bankruptcy attorney before you file.
What Income Counts
The means test runs on Current Monthly Income, which is the average of all income you received during the six full calendar months before your filing date. File on July 20, and the window covers January 1 through June 30.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 101 – Definitions
You add up gross wages before deductions, tips, bonuses, overtime, commissions, net business income, rental income, interest, dividends, royalties, unemployment compensation, pension distributions, and alimony received. Regular contributions others make toward your household expenses count too, even if the money comes from a roommate or a parent helping with rent.3United States Courts. Chapter 7 Statement of Your Monthly Income (Official Form 122A-1)
The biggest exclusion is Social Security. All benefits under the Social Security Act, including retirement, SSDI, and survivor benefits, are left out of the calculation.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 101 – Definitions Veterans’ disability compensation and certain military-related payments are also excluded. For filers who live mostly on Social Security, this exclusion alone can keep them well under the median.
Multiply your six-month average by 12 to get the annualized number you compare to the Connecticut threshold. At or below the threshold, you pass, and neither the trustee nor any creditor can move to dismiss your case for abuse based on income.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 707 – Dismissal of a Case or Conversion to a Case Under Chapter 11 or 13
Why the Six-Month Window Matters
The lookback cuts both ways. If you lost a job or had your hours cut recently, the average may still be lifted by months when you earned more. A one-time spike like a bonus or a retirement account cashout gets spread across all six months, which can push you above the median even though your ongoing income is modest. Timing the filing to capture the six months that best reflect your actual situation is one of the practical decisions worth thinking through before you submit a petition.
Married and Filing Alone
If you’re married and filing without your spouse, their income still goes into the initial calculation, which can inflate your household total. The marital adjustment deduction offsets this by letting you subtract the portion of your spouse’s income that pays for their own separate expenses rather than shared household costs.
Eligible deductions include your spouse’s payroll taxes, their retirement contributions, student loan payments in their name only, car payments and insurance for a vehicle that is theirs, and credit card payments on accounts that are solely theirs. The expense has to genuinely benefit only your non-filing spouse and can’t overlap with household expenses you’re already claiming elsewhere on the form. Keep documentation showing the expenses are real and that your spouse has actually been paying them in the amounts you claim.
If Your Income Is Over the Median
Earning more than the Connecticut median doesn’t automatically disqualify you from Chapter 7. It moves you into Part 2 of Official Form 122A-2, the detailed expense analysis. There you subtract standardized living expenses using IRS National Standards for categories like food, clothing, and personal care, plus IRS Local Standards for housing and transportation costs specific to Connecticut. You can also deduct certain actual expenses such as health insurance premiums, childcare, and required debt payments.5United States Courts. Chapter 7 Means Test Calculation (Official Form 122A-2)
If your remaining disposable income after the allowed deductions is low enough, you still pass. If it’s too high, the form produces a “presumption of abuse,” signaling to the court that you may have enough capacity to repay some of your debts through a Chapter 13 plan instead.
Rebutting the Presumption
A presumption of abuse can be overcome by showing “special circumstances” that justify expenses or income adjustments the standard formula doesn’t capture. The statute names a serious medical condition and a call to active military duty as examples, but others are possible.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 707 – Dismissal of a Case or Conversion to a Case Under Chapter 11 or 13 You itemize each additional expense in Part 4 of Form 122A-2, document it, explain why there’s no reasonable alternative, and sign under oath.5United States Courts. Chapter 7 Means Test Calculation (Official Form 122A-2) The claimed circumstances also have to be large enough to actually change the math: once added to your allowed deductions, your adjusted disposable income multiplied by 60 months must fall below the statutory dollar thresholds.
Chapter 13 If Chapter 7 Isn’t Available
If you can’t pass the means test and can’t rebut the presumption, Chapter 13 is the usual alternative. Instead of liquidating, it puts you on a court-supervised repayment plan lasting three to five years. Below-median filers typically qualify for a three-year plan; above-median filers are generally committed to five. Chapter 13 also has its own debt limits.7United States Courts. Chapter 13 – Bankruptcy Basics For Connecticut homeowners with significant equity or mortgage arrears, Chapter 13 is sometimes the better option even when Chapter 7 is technically on the table.