For bankruptcy cases filed in California on or after April 1, 2026, the median family income is $79,253 for a one-person household, $102,797 for two people, $116,541 for three, and $139,071 for four. Each additional person adds $11,100. These are the figures the Chapter 7 means test uses at step one.
The April 2026 table
The U.S. Trustee Program publishes these numbers, based on Census Bureau data, and the bankruptcy forms pull from them. Here is the current California table, with the monthly equivalent alongside it because the means test form works in monthly figures.
| Household size | Annual median | Monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $79,253 | $6,604.42 |
| 2 people | $102,797 | $8,566.42 |
| 3 people | $116,541 | $9,711.75 |
| 4 people | $139,071 | $11,589.25 |
| 5 people | $150,171 | $12,514.25 |
| 6 people | $161,271 | $13,439.25 |
For seven or more, keep adding $11,100 per person. A household of eight in Lancaster is measured against $183,471.
These are statewide numbers. There is no separate figure for Los Angeles County or for Beverly Hills, which is why a family in Compton and a family in Brentwood are held to the same line.
Which table applies to you
The date that matters is the filing date, not the date you first called a lawyer and not the date of the debts. A petition filed on March 31, 2026 used the previous table. One filed April 1 uses this one.
That timing is not academic. When the figures rise, someone who was $2,000 over the line under the old numbers can be under it a day later. When we're close to a change date and a client sits near the median, we look at whether a week's delay helps.
When the figures change
The medians are revised periodically as new Census data comes out. In recent years the U.S. Trustee has updated them roughly twice a year, most often with effective dates of April 1 and November 1, though not every cycle brings a change and the exact timing is announced only a few weeks ahead.
- April 1, 2026: the current table above took effect.
- Fall 2026: a further adjustment is possible, typically announced in October and effective November 1 if it happens.
- Spring 2027: the next likely revision, effective around April 1.
The direction has been upward for years, because California incomes have risen. We keep this page current, and we check the live figure on the trustee's site before every filing rather than trusting a chart, including our own.
How to count your household
The form asks for the number of people in your household, and it means people who live with you and are supported by the household income, or contribute to it. A spouse counts even if they don't file. Minor children who live with you count. A 22-year-old who lives at home and whom you support counts. A parent you support in your home counts.
The harder calls: a child who lives with you half the time under a custody order, a roommate who pays a share of rent, an adult child with a job who lives in the back bedroom. Central District trustees generally accept a child in a shared custody arrangement where you provide real support, and generally reject a roommate who only splits the utilities. The test is economic dependence, not who's on the lease.
The difference between a household of three and four is $22,530 of allowed income. So the question gets asked carefully, and it gets asked again by the trustee at the Zoom 341 meeting.
What the number decides, and what it doesn't
Being under the median clears step one of the Chapter 7 means test. It also sets the length of a Chapter 13 plan: below median, 36 months; above, 60. That's it.
It does not decide whether you keep your house or your car, whether a debt is discharged, or what a case costs. And being over the median does not mean you can't file Chapter 7. It means the long form applies, with allowed expenses subtracted before anything is decided. The step-by-step, including a worked example, is on our page explaining the means test.
A note on the income being measured
The comparison is against the household's gross income for the six full calendar months before the filing month, averaged and annualized. Not last year's tax return. Not your current salary. A nurse who earned $60,000 in the last six months of 2025 and has been on leave since January measures far below her salary. A contractor who had a strong spring measures above his.
Social Security is excluded from the calculation entirely. Unemployment benefits are included. Contributions from a partner who pays part of the rent are included. If your income is uneven, the month you file changes the answer, and we'll tell you which month works.
Every few months someone sends me a chart from a website that hasn't been updated since 2023 and tells me they don't qualify. The numbers on it are $10,000 lower than the current ones. They'd been sitting on a garnishment for two months because a stale table told them there was no point calling. Check the date on any table you find, including this one. If it doesn't say which filing dates it applies to, it isn't worth relying on.
Questions people ask about this
Is the median income different for Los Angeles County?
No. The bankruptcy means test uses a single California figure for each household size. The IRS local standards for housing and transportation do vary by county and come into play on the long form, but the median itself is statewide.
What if my household is bigger than six people?
Add $11,100 for each person beyond four. Seven people is $172,371, eight is $183,471, and so on. Large households are held to the same counting rules: the person has to live in the home and be supported by, or contributing to, the household income.
Do I use the figures from when I started the case or when I file?
When you file. The table in effect on the petition date controls. If a new table is about to take effect and it helps you, waiting a few days can be the right call.
My income is right at the median. What happens?
If you're under by even a dollar you pass step one. If you're over by a dollar, you complete the long form. Neither outcome ends the case, but the margin is thin enough that we verify every deposit for the six months before deciding when to file.
Does the median income matter for Chapter 13?
Yes. It sets the plan length. Households below the median can propose a 36-month plan; households above it are committed to 60 months. The same six-month lookback and the same table apply.
Talk it through with the attorney
If you're not sure which side of the line you fall on, tell Naomi your household size and your last six months of income on a free call. It takes a few minutes to know.