The 2026 federal poverty line used in New Mexico is $15,960 a year for a single person and $33,000 for a family of four. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes these numbers each January, and every major state assistance program, from Medicaid to SNAP to energy help, uses them as its starting point. What varies is the multiplier: each program sets its cutoff at a different percentage of the poverty line, so where you actually stand depends on which benefit you need and how many people are in your household.
2026 Poverty Guidelines by Household Size
These figures apply uniformly across the 48 contiguous states, including New Mexico. Alaska and Hawaii have separate, higher figures.
- 1 person: $15,960
- 2 people: $21,640
- 3 people: $27,320
- 4 people: $33,000
- 5 people: $38,680
- 6 people: $44,360
- 7 people: $50,040
- 8 people: $55,720
- Each additional person: add $5,680
These amounts reflect 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). To find a program-specific cutoff, multiply the figure for your household size by the program’s percentage. A program set at 150 percent of FPL for a household of two, for example, would use $21,640 × 1.50 = $32,460.1HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
HHS updates the guidelines every year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. The dollar amounts rise with inflation even when the underlying percentages don’t move, so a household near the cutoff one year may become newly eligible, or newly ineligible, the next without any change in actual earnings.
How the Poverty Line Sets Eligibility for Each Program
New Mexico agencies don’t use 100 percent of FPL as a single test. They set each program at its own multiplier of the poverty line, and those multipliers vary widely.
Medicaid and CHIP
For most nonelderly adults, New Mexico Medicaid’s income limit is 133 percent of FPL. A built-in 5 percent income disregard makes the effective cutoff 138 percent, which for a single adult in 2026 works out to roughly $22,025 a year.2New Mexico Health Care Authority. Eligibility Pamphlet – January 2026
Children qualify at much higher thresholds. Children from birth through age five are covered by Medicaid up to 240 percent of FPL, and children six through eighteen up to 190 percent. Above those levels, the Children’s Health Insurance Program takes over: up to 300 percent of FPL for children under six and 240 percent for older children. CHIP has no copayments and requires that the child not already have other health insurance.3New Mexico Human Services Department. Women, Children, and Family Medicaid Categories – Federal Poverty Level Guidelines
Pregnant women qualify with income below 250 percent of FPL. The unborn child is counted in household size for budgeting, which effectively raises the ceiling. There is no asset or resource test for this category.2New Mexico Health Care Authority. Eligibility Pamphlet – January 2026
One point that trips people up: Medicaid for adults, children, and pregnant women uses modified adjusted gross income and does not impose an asset test. Owning a car or having money in savings will not disqualify you. Asset limits do apply to certain other categories, including aged, blind, or disabled Medicaid and long-term care coverage.
SNAP
SNAP uses 130 percent of FPL as its standard gross income limit, which comes to roughly $20,748 for a single person in 2026 and about $42,900 for a family of four.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
New Mexico also uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which raises the gross income ceiling to 200 percent of FPL for households that have received a non-cash TANF-funded benefit or service. Under this route, a family of four could have gross income up to about $66,000 and still potentially qualify, provided the household also meets a net income test at 100 percent of FPL after allowable deductions for shelter, dependent care, and similar costs.5Cornell Law Institute. New Mexico Code 8.139.420.8 – Categorical Eligibility
Households where every member receives SSI or TANF cash assistance are automatically eligible with no separate income test.
LIHEAP (Energy Assistance)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps cover heating and cooling costs for households at or below 150 percent of FPL, which is the maximum threshold federal law allows and the level New Mexico uses.6LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
Specific income limits for the current program year in New Mexico:
- 1 person: $23,475 per year ($1,956 per month)
- 2 people: $31,725 per year ($2,644 per month)
- 4 people: $48,225 per year ($4,019 per month)
- Each additional person: add $688 per month
LIHEAP runs on the federal fiscal year (October through September), so figures for the current cycle may still reflect the prior year’s poverty guidelines rather than the 2026 numbers published in January. The percentages stay the same.7LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP FFY2026 Income Eligibility Guidelines – New Mexico
New Mexico Works Cash Assistance
New Mexico Works, the state’s TANF-funded cash program, has the tightest income requirement of the major benefits. Gross household income cannot exceed 85 percent of FPL for your benefit group size. That caps out at roughly $13,566 a year for a single individual in 2026 and about $28,050 for a family of four.8Cornell Law Institute. New Mexico Code 8.102.500.8 – General Requirements
The benefit group must include at least one dependent child, or a pregnant woman in her third trimester. Adults without dependent children cannot receive NMW cash assistance on their own, and continued benefits require participation in work activities or job training.
Medicare Savings Programs
Residents on Medicare may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program that covers premiums, deductibles, and copays. The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program, the most comprehensive tier, has a 2026 monthly income limit of $1,350 for an individual and $1,824 for a married couple, with resource limits of $9,950 and $14,910.9Medicare.gov. Medicare Savings Programs
New Mexico may count fewer types of income or resources than the federal minimums, so applying is worthwhile even if you appear slightly over the listed thresholds.
What Counts as Income
Before your income gets compared to any of these cutoffs, the state has to decide what counts. New Mexico’s administrative code splits income into earned and unearned.
Earned income covers wages from a job, self-employment profits, and any payment in kind you receive for work. Rental income counts as earned if you personally handle maintenance, rent collection, or repairs. Income from raising and selling livestock also counts as earned. Self-employment income is calculated by subtracting legitimate business expenses from gross receipts, and seasonal income (livestock auction proceeds, for example) may be spread across six months to arrive at a representative monthly figure.10New Mexico Administrative Code. New Mexico Code 8.102.520 NMAC – Eligibility Policy – Income
Unearned income casts a wider net: Social Security, veterans’ benefits, railroad retirement, pensions, annuities, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, child support, union benefits paid in cash, gifts and contributions from outside the household, and income from real property like royalties or lease payments. Unearned income is not reduced by deductions before being counted. Regular cash gifts from relatives are included; one-time or irregular gifts may or may not count depending on the program and amount. Non-cash benefits like housing subsidies or food assistance from another program are generally not counted as income.10New Mexico Administrative Code. New Mexico Code 8.102.520 NMAC – Eligibility Policy – Income
When earnings fluctuate, the caseworker will look beyond the current month. If recent pay does not reliably predict future income, earnings can be averaged over a longer period. For weekly paychecks, the standard conversion is to multiply the weekly amount by four.
Who Counts in Your Household
Which row of the poverty guidelines applies to you depends on your “benefit group,” New Mexico’s term for the household unit whose income and needs are evaluated together. Each additional person in the group raises the income ceiling by $5,680, so getting this count right matters.11New Mexico Administrative Code. New Mexico Code 8.102.400 NMAC – Recipient Policies – Defining the Assistance Group
For cash assistance programs like New Mexico Works, the benefit group typically includes a dependent child, all of that child’s siblings (full, half, step, or adopted) living in the same home, the parent they live with, and that parent’s spouse. A pregnant woman can also form her own benefit group. More than one benefit group can exist in a single residence, so multi-generational homes do not automatically pool everyone’s income.12Cornell Law Institute. New Mexico Code 8.102.400.9 – Basis for Defining the Benefit Group
Roommates who do not share financial responsibilities or meal costs with you are usually not included in your benefit group. In shared custody arrangements, the counting rules vary by program, but the child is generally included in the household where they primarily reside. A caseworker will walk through the specifics during the eligibility determination.
How to Apply
New Mexico consolidates applications for most assistance programs through a single online portal, YesNM. You can apply for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF cash assistance, and other programs in one place, and the portal includes a screening tool that recommends programs based on a few household questions.
- Online: yes.nm.gov
- Phone: 1-800-283-4465 (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.)
- Text: 505-370-7130
- Email: NM.Customers@hca.nm.gov
Gather income documentation before you start. Pay stubs from the most recent month, self-employment records, Social Security award letters, and proof of any unearned income will speed things up. You will also need identification for each household member and proof of New Mexico residency. Medicaid determinations for straightforward applications are typically completed within 45 days, and SNAP applications within 30 days of filing.