What is the 2026 poverty guideline for a family of four in Montana?

$33,000. Alaska and Hawaii use higher guidelines. Montana uses the 48-state and D.C. table.

Is a $48,000 household eligible for School meals in Montana?

Likely eligible for reduced-price meals. A school-age child is in the household. Income is 145 percent of the 2026 poverty guidelines. Free meals use 130 percent and reduced-price meals use 185 percent for the 2026–27 school year. This is an illustration for two adults and two children, not a determination.

Benefits / Montana

School meals in Montana

School meals in Montana use 130 percent of poverty for free meals and 185 percent for reduced-price meals in the 2026–27 school year. The poverty guideline for four people is $33,000. The products are already whole dollars, which matches the notice. This site does not approve or deny benefits. A missing figure stays blank. We do not guess it.

Who is in the free or reduced-price school meal range? Free meals use 130 percent of $33,000 for a household of four, and reduced-price meals use 185 percent, for the 2026–27 school year.

Montana has no metro in the top 100 population ranking, so this page stays on statewide rules.

Montana taxes wages at rates up to 5.65%. Combined state and local sales tax is 0.0%. The ACS effective property tax rate is 0.69%.

A household of four with $48,000 of income is about 145 percent of the $33,000 poverty guideline and is likely eligible for School meals. Likely eligible for reduced-price meals.

Limits behind the page

2026 poverty guideline in Montana
Household	100%	138%	185%
1	$15,960	$22,025	$29,526
2	$21,640	$29,863	$40,034
3	$27,320	$37,702	$50,542
4	$33,000	$45,540	$61,050

An illustrative household

Two adults, ages 34 and 32, filing jointly, plus children ages 8 and 3. Gross income $48,000 a year, about 145 percent of the poverty guideline in Montana. They rent. Nobody is marked disabled or pregnant.

School meals

Likely eligible

Likely eligible for reduced-price meals

A school-age child is in the household. Income is 145 percent of the 2026 poverty guidelines. Free meals use 130 percent and reduced-price meals use 185 percent for the 2026–27 school year.

Read the school meal guidelines

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Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Montana

Last checked: October 15, 2026

Sources

What changed

October 15, 2026. The benefit rules file was checked against the sources listed here.
January 15, 2026. HHS published the 2026 poverty guidelines in the Federal Register.