What Is the Poverty Line in Minnesota and Who Qualifies?

The poverty line in Minnesota for 2026 is $15,960 a year for one person and $33,000 a year for a family of four. Minnesota uses the Federal Poverty Guidelines published each January by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and state agencies apply multipliers to those numbers when deciding who qualifies for programs like Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, SNAP, and MFIP.¹

2026 Poverty Guidelines by Household Size

These are the figures that apply in Minnesota and the other 47 contiguous states. Alaska and Hawaii use higher numbers.

1 person: $15,960 per year ($1,330 per month)
2 people: $21,640 per year ($1,803 per month)
3 people: $27,320 per year ($2,277 per month)
4 people: $33,000 per year ($2,750 per month)
5 people: $38,680 per year ($3,223 per month)
6 people: $44,360 per year ($3,697 per month)
7 people: $50,040 per year ($4,170 per month)
8 people: $55,720 per year ($4,643 per month)

For each additional person beyond eight, add $5,680 to the annual figure.¹ These numbers represent 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Few programs cut off eligibility at exactly 100%; most use a higher multiplier, so your income can be well above these amounts and still qualify you for help.²

The same dollar amounts apply across the whole state. Minneapolis and rural Otter Tail County use the same table, even though actual living costs vary considerably.

Who Counts as Part of Your Household

Picking the right row in the table depends on counting your household correctly. For poverty guideline purposes, your household generally includes all related family members living with you, and their incomes are added together to compare against the threshold for that size.³

If you live alone or with unrelated roommates, only your own income counts. Individual programs tweak the definition. SNAP looks at everyone who buys and prepares food together. Medical Assistance follows your tax-filing unit. Each application walks you through who to include, but the pattern holds: the more people in your household, the higher the income limit you can meet.

Minnesota Programs That Use the Poverty Line

Different programs apply different percentages of FPL, which is why you can be over the limit for one program and comfortably under it for another.

Medical Assistance (Medicaid)

Minnesota’s Medical Assistance program covers healthcare for low-income residents. Under Minnesota Statutes Section 256B.056, parents, caretaker relatives, and adults without children can qualify with household income up to 133 percent of FPL.⁴ A built-in 5 percent income disregard pushes the effective limit to 138 percent of FPL, which works out to about $22,025 a year for one adult and roughly $45,540 for a family of four in 2026.²

Children under 19 have a much higher threshold, up to 275 percent of FPL, so many families whose parents don’t qualify can still get coverage for their kids.⁴

MinnesotaCare

MinnesotaCare picks up residents who earn too much for Medical Assistance but still can’t afford private insurance, generally those between 138 and 200 percent of FPL. For 2026 coverage, MNsure publishes these annual income limits:⁵

1 person: up to $31,300
2 people: up to $42,300
3 people: up to $53,300
4 people: up to $64,300
5 people: up to $75,300
6 people: up to $86,300

Add roughly $11,000 for each additional person. These numbers are tied to the prior year’s federal guidelines and may shift when new ones take effect.⁵

SNAP (Food Assistance)

Minnesota uses broad-based categorical eligibility for SNAP, which sets the gross income limit at 200 percent of FPL. A single-person household faces a limit of $2,609 per month, and a four-person household can earn up to $5,359 per month in gross income.⁶ For each additional household member, add about $917.

Gross income is your total household income before deductions. Even if you clear the gross limit, your net income after allowed deductions for shelter, dependent care, and other expenses must also meet a separate, lower threshold before benefits are issued.

MFIP and General Assistance

The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) provides cash and food help for families with children, and uses its own Family Wage Level rather than a straight FPL percentage. For a family of four, the full monthly assistance standard is $1,843, and your income at application must fall below the level set for your household size.⁷

General Assistance, under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 256D, serves single adults, childless couples, and certain children who don’t qualify for federal programs and cannot provide for themselves. The commissioner sets the specific dollar standard for each living arrangement.

What Counts as Income

Each program defines income somewhat differently, so the same family can fall above the line for one program and below it for another.

For Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, Minnesota uses modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Start with the adjusted gross income from your tax return, then add back untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest. Supplemental Security Income is not counted.⁸

Income types that generally count across programs include wages, self-employment earnings, Social Security benefits, unemployment compensation, pension and retirement withdrawals, rental income, and alimony from divorces finalized before 2019. Child support received, veterans’ disability payments, gifts, loan proceeds, and workers’ compensation are typically excluded.⁸

Asset and Resource Limits

Income is only one gate. Some programs also look at what you own. For SNAP in federal fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 through September 2026), the resource limit is $3,000 for most households and $4,500 for households with someone age 60 or older or with a disability.⁹ Minnesota’s broad-based categorical eligibility rules may waive the asset test for many SNAP applicants.

Supplemental Security Income has stricter limits: $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple in 2026.¹⁰ Countable resources generally include bank accounts, cash, stocks, and bonds. Your primary home and one vehicle usually don’t count.

Watch the Benefits Cliff Before Taking a Raise

Minnesota’s programs use hard income cutoffs, so a small raise or a few extra hours can push you above a threshold and cost you thousands in benefits. A family of four earning $64,200 who gets a $200 raise ends up at $64,400, nudging them over the MinnesotaCare limit and potentially eliminating their coverage subsidy entirely, even though the raise barely covers a week of groceries.

Research has found that the effective loss from crossing an income threshold can run from 17 to 65 cents for every additional dollar earned, depending on household size and income. About one in five workers receiving public benefits have reported turning down extra hours, raises, or promotions to keep their benefits intact.

If you’re near a limit, add up the full value of your current benefits (health coverage, food assistance, childcare subsidies) before accepting a pay bump. A benefits counselor at your county human services office can help you work out whether the raise comes out ahead.

Why the Federal Line May Understate Minnesota Costs

The federal poverty guidelines were built in the 1960s on the assumption that families spent about one-third of their income on food, and the formula has only been adjusted for inflation since. It doesn’t reflect how much larger a share of household budgets housing and childcare consume today.

Minnesota Statutes Section 116J.013 requires the Department of Employment and Economic Development to publish an annual Cost of Living study estimating what it actually costs to cover basic needs (housing, food, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and taxes) in each Minnesota county. The figures are often significantly higher than the federal poverty line, which is one reason a family in Hennepin County can feel squeezed even with income above the federal threshold. The study is published on the DEED website and is useful background if your household is above the FPL but still struggling to cover basics.

1
Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
2
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
3
U.S. Census Bureau. How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty
4
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 256B.056 – Eligibility Requirements for Medical Assistance
5
MNsure. 2025-26 Income Level Guidelines for Financial Help
6
Minnesota Department of Human Services. Gross Income Limits
7
Minnesota Department of Human Services. MFIP/DWP Assistance Standards
8
HealthCare.gov. What’s Included as Income
9
USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 COLA Memo
10
Social Security Administration. 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet