What Is the Poverty Line in Michigan by Household Size?

In 2026, the poverty line in Michigan by household size starts at $15,960 for one person and rises to $55,720 for a household of eight, with $5,680 added for each additional member. Michigan uses the federal poverty guidelines published each January by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the state adopted the 2026 figures effective January 16, 2026.¹

2026 Poverty Line by Household Size

These are annual gross income figures at 100 percent of the federal poverty level for the 48 contiguous states, which includes Michigan.²

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.³ A household of nine comes to $61,400, and a household of ten comes to $67,080.

Michigan Uses the National Guideline

Michigan does not set its own poverty line. The same HHS figures apply in every state except Alaska and Hawaii, which have separate, higher thresholds.² When a Michigan agency talks about the “federal poverty level” or “FPL,” it means these guidelines.

What Counts as Income

The guidelines themselves do not define income. The 2026 Federal Register notice states that each program decides what income to count, what to exclude, and how to define a household.³ That is why your eligibility can differ from one program to another even if your paycheck does not change.

Some programs use gross income. The Healthy Michigan Plan uses Modified Adjusted Gross Income, a tax-based figure that starts with your adjusted gross income and adds back certain deductions.⁴ Food assistance applies both a gross income test and a separate net income test with its own deductions.⁵ If you are checking eligibility for a specific benefit, ask the agency that runs it rather than relying on a single income number.

How Michigan Programs Use the Poverty Line

Most assistance programs set their income cutoff at a percentage above 100 percent of the poverty guideline. Doubling the figures above gives the 200 percent threshold, and so on.

Healthy Michigan Plan

The Healthy Michigan Plan covers adults aged 19 through 64 who earn at or below 133 percent of FPL. That works out to roughly $21,227 a year for a single person under the 2026 numbers. You cannot already be enrolled in Medicare or qualify for other Medicaid programs, and you cannot be pregnant when you apply.⁴

Food Assistance (Bridge Card)

Michigan’s food assistance program uses broad-based categorical eligibility. Households with gross income at or below 200 percent of FPL can qualify as categorically eligible and do not have to pass the standard gross income test separately.⁶ Under the standard federal rules, the gross income limit is 130 percent of FPL and the net income limit is 100 percent.⁵

SNAP also sets resource limits. Most households may hold up to $3,000 in countable assets like cash or bank balances. The cap rises to $4,500 if any household member is 60 or older or has a disability. Your home, most retirement accounts, and certain other assets are not counted.⁵

Weatherization and Heating Help

The federal Weatherization Assistance Program covers households at or below 200 percent of FPL.⁷ Michigan’s heating assistance through LIHEAP uses a tighter 110 percent cutoff, which is roughly $17,556 a year for a single person.⁸

State Emergency Relief

State Emergency Relief helps with urgent needs like utility shutoffs, eviction prevention, and home repairs. It uses its own monthly income limits rather than a flat percentage of FPL. For energy emergencies, the limit is $1,518 per month for one person and $3,138 per month for a household of four. Non-energy emergencies use far lower limits, $445 per month for one person and $755 for four, and any income above those limits becomes a copayment you owe.⁹

Where to Apply

Michigan handles applications for most public assistance through MI Bridges, the state’s online portal. A single application covers health coverage, food assistance, cash assistance, child care subsidies, and State Emergency Relief. If you do not have internet access, you can use a computer at your local MDHHS office or at a MI Bridges community partner location, or you can request a paper application by mail.¹⁰

Processing times vary. Food assistance applications are decided within 30 calendar days, with expedited service in 7 days for households in immediate need.¹¹ Health coverage decisions can take up to 45 days, and State Emergency Relief applications are processed within 10 days.¹⁰

1
State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Memo Updating 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines
2
ASPE – HHS.gov. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States
3
Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
4
State of Michigan. Who Is Eligible
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
6
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Bridges Eligibility Manual – Categorical Eligibility
7
Department of Energy. How to Apply for Weatherization Assistance
8
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
9
State of Michigan. Eligibility
10
State of Michigan. Apply For Benefits
11
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing