The poverty line in SC for 2026 is $15,960 a year for a single person, or $1,330 a month, under the federal poverty guidelines that South Carolina uses in place of any state-specific standard. The threshold rises with each additional person in the household, reaching $33,000 a year for a family of four. Most assistance programs do not cut off at the line itself; they qualify people at a multiple of it, such as 130, 185, or 200 percent, so your income can sit well above the base figure and still open the door to help.
2026 Poverty Income Limits by Household Size
These are the 2026 federal poverty guidelines at 100 percent, which apply in South Carolina along with the rest of the 48 contiguous states.1ASPE – HHS.gov. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States
- 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
Add $5,680 to the annual total for each additional person beyond eight.1ASPE – HHS.gov. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States To find a program’s cutoff, multiply the figure for your household size by the percentage the program uses. At 130 percent, a family of four reaches $42,900; at 185 percent, about $61,050; at 200 percent, $66,000.
HHS publishes new guidelines each year to reflect cost-of-living changes, and the numbers are identical across the contiguous states and D.C. Alaska and Hawaii use separate, higher figures.
How Your Household and Income Are Counted
Your household generally includes everyone related to you by birth, marriage, or adoption who lives with you. Unrelated roommates usually do not count.2Department of Health and Human Services. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines Counting correctly matters: each extra person raises the income you can earn and still qualify.
Income means total gross (pre-tax) cash receipts. Wages, salaries, tips, Social Security, unemployment, alimony, and child support all count. Non-cash benefits such as employer-paid health insurance, SNAP, and housing assistance do not, and neither do capital gains, tax refunds, gifts, loans, or one-time insurance payouts.2Department of Health and Human Services. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines Pull together recent pay stubs, W-2s, and benefit statements before you apply anywhere.
Medicaid (Healthy Connections) Income Limits
South Carolina’s Medicaid program, Healthy Connections, applies different thresholds depending on who is applying. The percentages below are based on the federal poverty guidelines and took effect January 1, 2026.3SCDHHS. Medicaid Eligibility Programs
- Pregnant women and infants: at or below 199 percent of the poverty level (about $65,670 for a family of four).
- Children, through Partners for Healthy Children: at or below 208 percent (about $68,640 for a family of four).4SCDHHS. Program Eligibility and Income Limits
- Parents or caretaker relatives: no higher than 67 percent (about $22,110 for a family of four).3SCDHHS. Medicaid Eligibility Programs
- Family planning services: at or below 199 percent for men and women.3SCDHHS. Medicaid Eligibility Programs
- Working individuals with disabilities: below 250 percent.4SCDHHS. Program Eligibility and Income Limits
The Coverage Gap
South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.5South Carolina Legislature. 2025-2026 Bill 3109 – Medicaid Expansion Non-disabled adults without dependent children generally cannot qualify for Medicaid in South Carolina even when their income is far below the poverty line. An expansion bill (H. 3109) has been introduced but, as of 2026, has not been enacted. Adults in this gap may still be able to buy subsidized coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace.
Food Assistance Thresholds
SNAP uses 130 percent of the poverty level as the gross income ceiling. From October 2025 through September 2026, a four-person household cannot have gross monthly income above $3,483. Net income (after allowed deductions) must also stay at or below 100 percent of the poverty level, which is $2,680 a month for a family of four over the same period.6Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility South Carolina also extends categorical eligibility to households where someone receives benefits through Family Independence Information and Referral Services, which waives the asset test while leaving the 130 percent income cap in place.7South Carolina DSS. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Manual
WIC sets its cutoff at 185 percent of the poverty level, roughly $61,050 for a family of four in 2026.8Food and Nutrition Service. 2025-2026 WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines Pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five are eligible. If you already have Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, you are automatically income-eligible for WIC.
School meal programs use two tiers. Children in households at or below 130 percent of the poverty level qualify for free meals; between 130 and 185 percent, meals are reduced-price.9Federal Register. Child Nutrition Programs – Income Eligibility Guidelines For a family of four in 2026, that is roughly $42,900 and $61,050.
Energy, Housing, and Child Care
South Carolina’s LIHEAP weatherization component serves households at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, about $66,000 for a family of four.10SC Office of Economic Opportunity. 2026 SC LIHEAP Model State Plan Other LIHEAP components may use state median income instead, so check with your local Community Action Agency for the exact limit that applies to your bill.
Federal housing programs do not follow the poverty guidelines. Section 8 vouchers and public housing use area median income, with HUD classifying households as “extremely low income” at 30 percent of area median and “very low income” at 50 percent.11HUD USER. Income Limits The dollar cutoffs differ by county, so Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and rural areas each have their own figures, updated annually by HUD. South Carolina’s Child Care Scholarship Program (the ABC vouchers) also runs on state median income rather than the poverty line, with a cap near $83,446 for a family of four in the 2024–2025 program year.
Tax Credits, College Aid, and Free Legal Help
The Earned Income Tax Credit reaches well above the poverty line. For tax year 2025, a single filer with three qualifying children can claim it with adjusted gross income up to $61,555, and a married couple filing jointly up to $68,675. Filers with no children qualify under $19,104, or $26,214 married filing jointly.12Internal Revenue Service. Earned Income and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Tables The IRS has not yet published 2026 figures.
Pell Grant eligibility is now tied directly to the poverty guidelines. For the 2026–2027 school year, students from families earning below 175 percent of the poverty level automatically receive the maximum Pell Grant, and single parents qualify at up to 225 percent. Partial Pell Grants extend up to 400 percent of the poverty level.13Federal Student Aid. 2026-27 FAFSA Form and Pell Grant Eligibility Updates Filing the FAFSA is required.
South Carolina Legal Services offers free civil legal help, covering areas like evictions, domestic violence, consumer debt, and public benefits, to residents whose household income is at or below 125 percent of the poverty level. Some exceptions reach 200 percent. The standard 125 percent cutoff for a single person in 2026 is about $19,950 a year. Apply through South Carolina Legal Services to find out whether your situation fits.