function calculatePovertyGuideline() {
var householdSize = parseInt(document.getElementById('householdSize').value);
var annualIncome = parseFloat(document.getElementById('annualIncome').value);
var stateSelection = document.getElementById('stateSelection').value;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result');
// Clear previous results
resultDiv.innerHTML = ";
// Input validation
if (isNaN(householdSize) || householdSize < 1) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid household size (1 or more).';
return;
}
if (isNaN(annualIncome) || annualIncome < 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid annual household income (0 or more).';
return;
}
var baseGuideline;
var incrementalAmount;
// 2024 HHS Poverty Guidelines
// Source: https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
if (stateSelection === 'alaska') {
baseGuideline = 18810; // 1 person
incrementalAmount = 6730; // Each additional person
} else if (stateSelection === 'hawaii') {
baseGuideline = 17310; // 1 person
incrementalAmount = 6190; // Each additional person
} else { // 48 Contiguous States and D.C.
baseGuideline = 15060; // 1 person
incrementalAmount = 5380; // Each additional person
}
var applicableGuideline = baseGuideline + (householdSize – 1) * incrementalAmount;
var statusMessage = '';
var difference = annualIncome – applicableGuideline;
var percentageOfPoverty = (annualIncome / applicableGuideline) * 100;
if (annualIncome < applicableGuideline) {
statusMessage = 'Your household income is below the poverty guideline.';
statusMessage += 'You are $' + Math.abs(difference).toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 }) + ' below the guideline.';
} else {
statusMessage = 'Your household income is above the poverty guideline.';
statusMessage += 'You are $' + difference.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 }) + ' above the guideline.';
}
resultDiv.innerHTML =
'For a household of ' + householdSize + ' people in ' + (stateSelection === 'alaska' ? 'Alaska' : stateSelection === 'hawaii' ? 'Hawaii' : 'the 48 Contiguous States & D.C.') + ', the 2024 poverty guideline is: $' + applicableGuideline.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 }) + '.' +
'Your annual household income is: $' + annualIncome.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 }) + '.' +
statusMessage +
'Your income is ' + percentageOfPoverty.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2 }) + '% of the poverty guideline.';
}
Understanding the Federal Poverty Guidelines
The Federal Poverty Guidelines are a set of income thresholds used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine eligibility for various federal programs and benefits. These guidelines are updated annually and vary based on the number of people in a household and, for Alaska and Hawaii, by state due to higher costs of living.
What Are Poverty Guidelines?
Poverty guidelines are administrative standards used for statistical purposes and for determining eligibility for a range of federal programs, including Medicaid, CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Head Start, and many others. They are not the same as the poverty thresholds, which are used primarily for statistical purposes by the Census Bureau to estimate the number of people in poverty.
How Are They Determined?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues the poverty guidelines each year. They are based on the previous year's poverty thresholds, which were originally developed in the 1960s. The thresholds were calculated by taking the cost of a minimum food diet and multiplying it by three, based on the assumption that food accounted for about one-third of a family's budget at the time. While the methodology has been criticized for not fully reflecting modern living costs, the guidelines are adjusted annually for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Key Factors in the Calculation:
Household Size: The guidelines increase with each additional person in the household. A larger household requires more income to meet basic needs.
Geographic Location: Alaska and Hawaii have separate, higher poverty guidelines to account for their significantly higher cost of living compared to the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.
Annual Income: This refers to the total gross income for all members of the household over a 12-month period.
Why Are They Important?
These guidelines serve as a critical benchmark for:
Program Eligibility: Many federal and state assistance programs use the poverty guidelines (or a percentage of them, e.g., 138% or 200% of the poverty line) to determine who qualifies for aid.
Policy Making: They help policymakers understand the scope of poverty and design programs to address it.
Research and Statistics: Researchers use the guidelines to analyze economic well-being and trends.
Using the Calculator
Our Poverty Guideline Calculator helps you quickly determine where your household's annual income stands relative to the official 2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Simply enter your household size, your total annual household income, and select your state. The calculator will provide:
The applicable 2024 poverty guideline for your household size and state.
Whether your income is above or below the guideline.
The dollar difference between your income and the guideline.
Your income as a percentage of the poverty guideline.
Example Scenarios:
Example 1: Family of Four in Texas
Household Size: 4
Annual Household Income: $40,000
State: 48 Contiguous States & D.C.
Calculation: The 2024 guideline for a 4-person household in the contiguous states is $31,200. With an income of $40,000, this family is $8,800 above the poverty guideline, representing approximately 128.21% of the poverty line.
Example 2: Single Individual in Alaska
Household Size: 1
Annual Household Income: $17,000
State: Alaska
Calculation: The 2024 guideline for a 1-person household in Alaska is $18,810. With an income of $17,000, this individual is $1,810 below the poverty guideline, representing approximately 90.38% of the poverty line.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on the official 2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines. It is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for official eligibility determinations by government agencies. Program eligibility often involves additional criteria beyond just income, and specific programs may use different income definitions or percentages of the poverty guidelines.