There is no single income figure that defines low income in Wisconsin. Each assistance program sets its own cutoff, and the dollar amount shifts with household size and sometimes with the county you live in. A family of four could count as low income for federal housing programs at $88,550 in Milwaukee, yet need to earn under $33,000 a year to fall below the federal poverty line that anchors most other benefits.
The Federal Poverty Guidelines Most Programs Start From
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updates the Federal Poverty Guidelines each January, and most Wisconsin assistance programs build their eligibility rules on top of them. For 2026 in the 48 contiguous states, the annual guidelines are:
- 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
For households larger than eight, add $5,680 per additional person.1Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
Those raw figures rarely decide eligibility on their own. Programs set their limits at a percentage of the guidelines — 100%, 138%, 200%, even 306% — so a single person earning $32,000 might be above the poverty line yet still qualify for food help or subsidized child care.
BadgerCare Plus Income Limits
BadgerCare Plus is Wisconsin’s Medicaid program, and it draws two very different lines depending on who in the household needs coverage. From February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027, the monthly cutoffs are:
- Adults: up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. That’s $1,330 per month for a single adult, or $2,750 per month for a family of four.
- Pregnant individuals and children: up to 306% of the Federal Poverty Level. That’s $4,069.80 per month for a one-person household, or $8,415 per month for a family of four.2Wisconsin Department of Health Services. BadgerCare Plus Federal Poverty Level Guidelines
The gap matters. A family of four earning $5,000 a month is too high for the parents to get BadgerCare Plus, but the children still qualify. Children in households between 201% and 306% of poverty may owe a monthly premium for their coverage.2Wisconsin Department of Health Services. BadgerCare Plus Federal Poverty Level Guidelines
FoodShare Income Limits
FoodShare is Wisconsin’s version of federal SNAP. The first eligibility screen looks at gross monthly income — everything you earn before taxes and deductions — against 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. For October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, the limits are:
- 1 person: $2,610 per month
- 2 people: $3,440
- 3 people: $4,180
- 4 people: $5,360
Passing the gross income test doesn’t guarantee benefits. FoodShare then subtracts allowable credits to arrive at a net figure, and that adjusted number sets your actual benefit amount.3Wisconsin Department of Health Services. FoodShare Your Income Could Make You Eligible
Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Limits
Wisconsin Shares helps families pay for child care while parents work or go to school. Starting February 1, 2026, new applicants must have gross monthly income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. For a family of four, that’s $5,500 per month, or $66,000 a year.
Once you’re approved, the subsidy doesn’t disappear the moment your income edges above that line. Ongoing eligibility runs until household income reaches 85% of the State Median Income — $8,723 per month, or $104,676 a year, for a family of four.4Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Apply for Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidy Program That cushion keeps a raise or a second parent picking up extra hours from immediately ending the benefit.
HUD Housing Income Limits
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sets income limits for public housing and Section 8 vouchers, and these limits aren’t tied to federal poverty guidelines. They’re tied to area median income for your county or metro, so the dollar thresholds shift across Wisconsin. HUD uses three tiers:
- Extremely low income: generally 30% of area median income
- Very low income: 50% of area median income
- Low income: 80% of area median income5HUD USER. Income Limits
For a four-person household in FY 2025, Wisconsin’s two largest metros look quite different:
- Milwaukee: extremely low income $33,200; very low income $55,350; low income $88,550.
- Madison: extremely low income $38,950; very low income $64,900; low income $103,850.6HUD User. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits Wisconsin
A family of four earning $90,000 counts as low income for HUD programs in Madison but not in Milwaukee. Rural counties, with lower median incomes, carry lower dollar cutoffs at every tier.
Energy Assistance Income Limits
Wisconsin’s Home Energy Assistance Program helps households pay heating and electric bills during the heating season. The state sets its income cap at 60% of the State Median Income rather than a percentage of the poverty guidelines.7Wisconsin Department of Energy, Housing and Community Resources. Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program
Wisconsin’s state median income for a four-person household is $123,148 for FY 2026, putting the 60% cutoff around $73,889.8Administration for Children and Families. State Median Income by Household Size That’s well above the limits for health care or food help, so families who don’t qualify for those programs may still get help with energy bills. Federal law requires states to set the threshold no lower than 110% of poverty and no higher than 150% of poverty or 60% of state median income, whichever is greater.9LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
Tax Credits That Reach Higher Incomes
Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Tax Credit is the largest federal tax benefit aimed at working families with low to moderate income. For tax year 2025 (filed in the 2026 season), the maximum credit runs from $664 for a worker with no children to $8,231 for a family with three or more qualifying children. The credit phases out as income rises, with the exact range depending on filing status and family size.
Single and head-of-household filers lose the credit entirely at $19,540 with no children, $51,593 with one child, $58,629 with two, or $62,974 with three or more. Married couples filing jointly have higher phase-out points, reaching $70,244 with three or more children. Investment income above $11,950 disqualifies you regardless of earnings.
Wisconsin Earned Income Tax Credit
Wisconsin stacks its own earned income credit on top of the federal one, calculated as a percentage of the federal amount:
- One qualifying child: 4% of the federal credit
- Two qualifying children: 11% of the federal credit
- Three or more qualifying children: 34% of the federal credit10Wisconsin State Legislature. Earned Income Tax Credit Informational Paper 12
Workers without qualifying children get no state credit, only the smaller federal one. A family claiming the maximum federal EITC of $8,231 with three or more children picks up roughly $2,799 more from Wisconsin, bringing the combined benefit above $11,000.
Wisconsin Homestead Credit
The Homestead Credit offsets property taxes or rent for lower-income Wisconsin residents. For tax year 2025, you may qualify if household income is below $24,680. The maximum credit is $1,168 and phases down as income approaches the cap.11Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Homestead Credit Fact Sheet 1116 Homeowners and renters can both claim it, and you can receive it as a refund even if you owe no state income tax.
How Programs Count Your Income and Household
Thresholds only help if you know what counts toward them, and the rules aren’t identical across programs. Most Wisconsin programs start with gross income: wages, self-employment earnings, Social Security, pensions, unemployment benefits, and child support.12Department of Health Services. 16.1 Income
Some income is excluded. Supplemental Security Income, Wisconsin Works (W-2) payments, and certain veterans’ benefits typically don’t count. Allowable deductions — pre-tax health premiums, retirement contributions, student loan interest, spousal support — may reduce the counted figure.12Department of Health Services. 16.1 Income
Household size raises every threshold, but who counts in your household varies. FoodShare looks at whether people purchase and prepare meals together, so two families splitting an apartment but buying groceries separately can be treated as separate households. Spouses living together, and parents with children under 22, are always grouped regardless of meal arrangements. BadgerCare Plus generally uses the tax filing unit, so a college student claimed as a dependent typically stays in the parents’ household even while living away at school.
Monthly Income Cutoffs at a Glance (Family of Four)
The spread below shows how differently each program defines low income for a four-person household in Wisconsin:
- BadgerCare Plus (adults): $2,750 per month (100% FPL)
- BadgerCare Plus (children): $8,415 per month (306% FPL)
- FoodShare: $5,360 per month (200% FPL)
- Wisconsin Shares (new applicants): $5,500 per month (200% FPL)
- Wisconsin Shares (ongoing eligibility): $8,723 per month (85% SMI)
- Energy Assistance: about $6,157 per month (60% SMI)
- HUD housing, Milwaukee: $7,379 per month (low income, 80% AMI)
- HUD housing, Madison: $8,654 per month (low income, 80% AMI)
The range runs from $2,750 for adult health coverage to more than $8,700 for ongoing child care subsidies or children’s health insurance. Whether you’re low income in Wisconsin depends almost entirely on which program you’re asking about.