If you’re thinking about filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Pennsylvania, the single most important number in your case is one you don’t control: the median income figure for a household your size. The U.S. Trustee Program updates those figures twice a year, and the next update takes effect for cases filed on or after November 1, 2026. Here’s the honest part first — as of today, those November numbers have not been released yet. Anyone quoting you the new figures right now is guessing, and you shouldn’t plan a filing around a guess.
The Pennsylvania Numbers That Apply Today
Until the new figures come out, the means test in Pennsylvania runs on the medians in effect for cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. For a household of one, the figure is $72,230. For a household of two, it’s $87,534. A household of three is $110,151, and a household of four is $135,862. For each additional person beyond four, you add $11,100.
Those are gross income figures, and they come from Census data for Pennsylvania — not national numbers. The comparison uses your average monthly income over the six full months before you file, multiplied out to an annual figure. That six-month lookback is why timing matters. A big overtime stretch, a severance payout, or a bonus in that window can push you over a line you would have cleared a month later. It’s also why a spike in income that has already ended doesn’t necessarily doom your case — but you have to know it’s in the window before you file, not after.
What “Below Median” Actually Gets You
If your annualized income is below the median for your household size, you pass step one of the means test. That doesn’t mean you automatically qualify for Chapter 7 — you still have to show your actual budget works and that you’re not abusing the system — but it means you skip the long expense-by-expense calculation that above-median filers have to survive. For most working families in Northeastern Pennsylvania, being under the median is the difference between a straightforward Chapter 7 and a fight.
If you’re over the median, that isn’t the end of the road either. The full means test lets you deduct real expenses, and many people who are over the line on paper still qualify once those deductions are counted honestly. What you should not do is assume — in either direction — based on a number you found online.
The Expense Standards Also Moved This Year
The medians aren’t the only figures that changed. The IRS Collection Financial Standards — the allowance tables the means test uses for things like housing, transportation, and health care — were refreshed effective June 29, 2026. One number worth knowing: the out-of-pocket health care standard is now $90 per month if you’re under 65, and $163 per month if you’re 65 or older. These allowances are automatic for the standard amounts; if your real health costs are higher, that takes documentation, but it’s often worth gathering.
What This Means for You
If you’re close to the line for your household size, the calendar is part of your case. Filing before November 1 means the current, known numbers apply. Waiting means the new medians apply — and they’ll probably edge up, but “probably” is not a strategy, and in a particular household size a figure can move in a direction that hurts you. The right move is to run your real six-month income against the numbers that exist today, and make the timing decision with your eyes open. When the November figures are published, we’ll post them here so you can see exactly where you stand.
Talk to a Wilkes-Barre Bankruptcy Attorney About Your Numbers
Call the Law Offices of Jason P. Provinzano, LLC at 570-822-5771 for a free consultation at 16 W. Northampton Street in Wilkes-Barre. Bring your last six months of pay stubs, and we’ll run your household income against the current Pennsylvania medians and tell you plainly where you stand — and whether waiting for November helps you or hurts you.
This article is general information about bankruptcy law, not legal advice about your specific situation.
