Weighted Average Poverty Thresholds¹ for Families, 1960–2011

The following table lists the income thresholds for individuals and families that determine who is living in poverty. Thresholds vary by size of family. Region of the United States is not considered; the thresholds each cover the entire U.S.

Calendar year	Individual²	Families of 2 persons or more
Calendar year	Individual²	2 persons²	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 persons	7 persons	8 persons	9 persons or more
1960	$1,490	$1,924	$2,359	$3,022	$3,560	$4,002	$4,921³
1965	1,582	2,048	2,514	3,223	3,797	4,264	5,248³
1970	1,954	2,525	3,099	3,968	4,680	5,260	6,468³
1975	2,724	3,506	4,293	5,500	6,499	7,316	9,022³
1980	4,190	5,363	6,565	8,414	9,966	11,269	12,761
1985	5,469	6,998	8,573	10,989	13,007	14,696	16,656
1990	6,652	8,509	10,419	13,359	15,792	17,839	20,241
1995	7,763	9,933	12,158	15,569	18,408	20,804	23,552
1996	7,995	10,223	12,516	16,036	18,952	21,389	24,268
1997	8,183	10,473	12,802	16,400	19,380	21,886	24,802
1998	8,316	10,634	13,003	16,660	19,680	22,228	25,257
1999	8,501	10,869	13,290	17,029	20,127	22,727	25,912
2000	8,959	11,531	13,470	17,761	21,419	24,636	28,347
2001	9,214	11,859	13,853	18,267	22,029	25,337	29,154
2002	9,359	12,047	14,480	18,244	21,469	24,038	26,924
2003	9,573	12,321	14,810	18,660	21,959	24,586	27,538
2004	9,827	12,649	14,776	19,484	23,497	27,025	31,096
2005	10,160	13,078	15,277	20,144	24,293	27,941	32,150
2006	10,294	13,167	16,079	20,614	24,382	27,560	31,205	34,774	41,499
2007	10,590	13,540	16,530	21,203	25,080	28,323	32,233	35,816	42,739
2008	11,201	14,417	16,841	22,207	26,781	30,803	35,442	39,640	47,684
2010	11,139	14,218	17,374	22,314	26,439	29,897	34,009	37,934	45,220
2011	11,484	14,657	17,916	23,021	27,251	30,847	35,085	39,064	46,572