For a family of four filing for bankruptcy, the median income used in the means test ranges from $93,672 in West Virginia to $178,524 in Massachusetts. These are the figures the U.S. Trustee Program applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. It posted the same figures again for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026, when it updated the IRS expense standards.
The highest four-person figures are in Massachusetts ($178,524), New Jersey ($168,127) and the District of Columbia ($166,598), and the lowest in West Virginia ($93,672), Arkansas ($97,054) and Mississippi ($97,464). For one earner, they run from $53,978 in Mississippi to $88,585 in Washington. For households larger than four, add $11,100 for each extra person. Every state’s figures are 2.63% higher than in the table for cases filed from November 1, 2025 (our calculation).
Median family income by state and household size
| State | 1 earner | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 4 people, Nov. 1, 2025 table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $88,202 | $112,708 | $139,411 | $178,524 | $173,947 |
| New Jersey | $87,173 | $106,876 | $137,136 | $168,127 | $163,817 |
| District of Columbia | $85,391 | $161,397 | $161,397 | $166,598 | $162,327 |
| Maryland | $86,928 | $114,611 | $135,949 | $166,173 | $161,913 |
| Connecticut | $84,302 | $106,224 | $134,470 | $159,934 | $155,834 |
| Washington | $88,585 | $107,100 | $131,737 | $156,567 | $152,553 |
| New Hampshire | $87,287 | $109,324 | $141,531 | $155,203 | $151,224 |
| Colorado | $87,940 | $109,497 | $130,850 | $153,501 | $149,566 |
| Minnesota | $77,696 | $98,328 | $126,487 | $149,882 | $146,039 |
| Virginia | $78,491 | $101,171 | $123,159 | $144,826 | $141,113 |
| Hawaii | $85,254 | $106,202 | $123,454 | $142,181 | $138,536 |
| Alaska | $85,817 | $112,548 | $112,548 | $142,136 | $138,492 |
| Oregon | $79,089 | $93,670 | $116,729 | $140,024 | $136,434 |
| California | $79,253 | $102,797 | $116,541 | $139,071 | $135,505 |
| New York | $73,272 | $92,902 | $115,579 | $139,040 | $135,475 |
| Illinois | $73,180 | $93,934 | $113,625 | $137,902 | $134,366 |
| North Dakota | $73,549 | $96,352 | $106,686 | $137,817 | $134,284 |
| Vermont | $72,461 | $96,963 | $114,075 | $137,583 | $134,056 |
| Rhode Island | $77,653 | $98,736 | $119,419 | $137,479 | $133,954 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,230 | $87,534 | $110,151 | $135,862 | $132,379 |
| Wisconsin | $71,168 | $90,252 | $108,516 | $133,384 | $129,964 |
| Delaware | $69,515 | $94,877 | $111,273 | $132,244 | $128,854 |
| Utah | $87,898 | $95,757 | $112,751 | $131,741 | $128,363 |
| Maine | $75,892 | $90,445 | $106,822 | $131,577 | $128,204 |
| South Dakota | $69,190 | $89,809 | $100,883 | $130,738 | $127,386 |
| Iowa | $67,617 | $88,800 | $104,133 | $126,058 | $122,826 |
| Kansas | $69,197 | $87,441 | $103,852 | $125,971 | $122,741 |
| Nebraska | $66,922 | $90,728 | $103,405 | $125,074 | $121,867 |
| Ohio | $66,239 | $83,725 | $102,504 | $123,702 | $120,531 |
| Georgia | $68,478 | $84,965 | $101,479 | $123,481 | $120,315 |
| Michigan | $67,352 | $83,432 | $103,449 | $123,010 | $119,856 |
| Montana | $71,310 | $91,452 | $103,285 | $121,698 | $118,578 |
| Arizona | $73,935 | $89,027 | $104,965 | $121,174 | $118,067 |
| Idaho | $73,413 | $86,160 | $98,381 | $119,662 | $116,594 |
| Missouri | $64,972 | $82,075 | $100,228 | $118,530 | $115,491 |
| Texas | $66,837 | $86,714 | $99,273 | $117,962 | $114,938 |
| North Carolina | $67,117 | $84,384 | $101,535 | $116,737 | $113,744 |
| South Carolina | $64,808 | $83,761 | $95,672 | $116,314 | $113,332 |
| Indiana | $64,461 | $81,986 | $95,627 | $115,656 | $112,691 |
| Florida | $69,876 | $86,523 | $97,540 | $114,761 | $111,819 |
| Nevada | $72,222 | $87,914 | $101,638 | $114,110 | $111,184 |
| Wyoming | $71,745 | $91,502 | $98,476 | $110,297 | $107,469 |
| Tennessee | $63,979 | $82,846 | $97,511 | $109,585 | $106,775 |
| Kentucky | $61,652 | $73,892 | $85,212 | $109,443 | $106,637 |
| Alabama | $64,321 | $77,451 | $92,698 | $106,740 | $104,003 |
| Louisiana | $59,447 | $72,348 | $84,602 | $103,628 | $100,971 |
| Oklahoma | $61,180 | $77,208 | $86,845 | $101,798 | $99,188 |
| New Mexico | $66,235 | $79,574 | $88,041 | $98,602 | $96,074 |
| Mississippi | $53,978 | $70,328 | $82,846 | $97,464 | $94,965 |
| Arkansas | $58,421 | $73,630 | $82,329 | $97,054 | $94,566 |
| West Virginia | $63,908 | $68,592 | $92,050 | $93,672 | $91,270 |
| Guam (territory) | $53,859 | $64,399 | $73,385 | $88,805 | $86,528 |
| Northern Mariana Islands (territory) | $36,168 | $36,168 | $42,080 | $61,891 | $60,304 |
| Puerto Rico (territory) | $30,665 | $30,665 | $40,976 | $50,543 | $49,247 |
| Virgin Islands (territory) | $42,734 | $51,360 | $54,760 | $59,995 | $58,457 |
How the figures are used
Part 2 of Official Form 122A-1 (Chapter 7) and Part 2 of Form 122C-1 (Chapter 13) tell filers to "fill in the median income for your state and size of household" and compare it with their own income. USTP says that for debtors whose income meets certain thresholds, the means test’s disposable income calculation is the starting point for what must be paid through a Chapter 13 plan. The rest of the test uses IRS expense standards, which USTP posts on the same page.
Use the table that applies on the date the case is filed. USTP updates the median income figures from time to time, and a new table may replace this one. Check the USTP means testing page before relying on a figure. This page is not legal advice; a bankruptcy lawyer or legal aid office can help with a specific case.
What these numbers are
USTP says the figures are Census Bureau median family income data published in September 2025, reproduced for use on the bankruptcy forms, and that under 11 U.S.C. § 101(39A)(B) they are further adjusted early each calendar year for inflation using the Consumer Price Index. Territories are shown at the end of the table and are not included in the state comparisons.
Source
U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Trustee Program, Census Bureau, IRS Data and Administrative Expenses Multipliers (Cases Filed On or After July 15, 2026), median family income file, and the April 1, 2026 and November 1, 2025 pages, downloaded October 18, 2026. The July 15 and April 1 files are identical. U.S. government data. Our table is available under CC BY 4.0. Credit "My Credit Guide (mycreditguide.org)".
Steven Reynolds, "Bankruptcy Means Test: Median Income by State, 2026," My Credit Guide, October 18, 2026, https://mycreditguide.org/data/bankruptcy-means-test-median-income/.