The median income figures are published by the U.S. Trustee Program and they change, usually twice a year. Any specific dollar amount you find on a law firm website is a snapshot that may already be stale, which is why you will not find one on this page.
What does not change is the structure. California has one statewide table broken out by household size, each person above four adds a fixed increment, and the state's figures sit well above the national average, which helps filers here.
How the table is built
| Household size | How the figure is set |
|---|---|
| 1 person | Base California figure for a single earner |
| 2 people | Higher than the single figure by a meaningful margin |
| 3 people | Higher again |
| 4 people | The top figure published as its own line |
| 5 or more | Take the four-person figure and add a fixed amount per additional person |
Who counts as household
This trips people up constantly. Household size for the means test is not the same as dependents claimed on your tax return, and it is not strictly your legal family either. Courts in the Central District generally use a headcount of people actually living in the home and functioning as an economic unit.
- Your adult son who moved back in and pays nothing counts
- A child in shared 50/50 custody is argued both ways and depends on the specifics
- A roommate who splits rent but keeps separate finances generally does not count, though their contribution may be income to you
- A non-filing spouse counts in the household even though only you are filing
Say the number out loud before you use it
Every figure on this table is superseded when the U.S. Trustee publishes a revision. Before you rely on any number for a real filing decision, confirm the version in effect on your actual filing date.
Being over the line is not the end
First, check which number you used. The comparison runs on gross income, before taxes and before your 401(k) contribution comes out, and people routinely bring me their take-home figure and conclude they qualify easily. Deductions come later, on the long form, not here. And a family of three sitting $900 over the median is not disqualified from Chapter 7. They are disqualified from the shortcut. The long form then runs their real expenses against IRS county standards, and in Los Angeles County the housing allowance alone frequently closes a gap that size.
“The clients I worry about are not the ones just over the line. They are the ones who read a figure on Google, decided they made too much, and waited two more years while the interest piled up.”
Naomi Reyes-AshfordQuestions we get asked
How often do these figures change?
Typically twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall, though the schedule has varied. The figure that governs your case is the one in effect on the day you file.
Is there a separate figure for Los Angeles versus Riverside?
No. The median income table is statewide for California. County-level variation shows up later, in the IRS expense standards used on the long form.
My income changes every month. Which figure do I use?
Add up the actual gross for each of the six calendar months before filing, divide by six, then multiply by twelve. Irregular income averages out, which is often to a commission earner's benefit.
Does my teenager's part-time job income count?
Generally not as your income, though it can be treated as a contribution to household expenses if it goes toward the household. Bring the pay stubs and we will look at it.
What to do next
Write down your household headcount and your gross income for each of the last six full months. Bring those two numbers to a video consultation and we will check them against the table version in force this week.