The means test in the District of Columbia: median income

The official median income for the District of Columbia, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

Official medians for the District of Columbia from the U.S. Trustee Program. Below the median for your household size means you pass the first step.

1 person
$85,391
2 people
$161,397
3 people
$161,397
4 people
$166,598
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Check the first step in the District of Columbia

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in the District of Columbia. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$85,391
  • 2 people$161,397
  • 3 people$161,397
  • 4 people$166,598
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

The District of Columbia bankruptcy courts and divisions

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. The District of Columbia is one bankruptcy district with one courthouse, so every D.C. filer uses the same court.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia

Divisions: One courthouse: E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, 333 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

Clerk's phone: (202) 354-3280

Court's self-help page

Exemptions in the District of Columbia at a glance

In the District of Columbia you choose state or federal exemptions (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): unlimited: your whole interest in real property you use as your residence, or in a cooperative that owns property you or a dependent use as a residence.

Car or other vehicle: $2,575 of your interest in one motor vehicle.

Wildcard (any property): $850 in any property, plus up to $8,075 of any unused amount of the homestead exemption.

Exemptions in the District of Columbia

In nearby states

  • Maryland: 1 person $86,928 · 2 people $114,611 · 3 people $135,949 · 4 people $166,173
  • Delaware: 1 person $69,515 · 2 people $94,877 · 3 people $111,273 · 4 people $132,244
  • Virginia: 1 person $78,491 · 2 people $101,171 · 3 people $123,159 · 4 people $144,826
  • Pennsylvania: 1 person $72,230 · 2 people $87,534 · 3 people $110,151 · 4 people $135,862
  • New Jersey: 1 person $87,173 · 2 people $106,876 · 3 people $137,136 · 4 people $168,127
  • West Virginia: 1 person $63,908 · 2 people $68,592 · 3 people $92,050 · 4 people $93,672

Steps for the means test in the District of Columbia

  1. Add up 6 months of income

    Add every source of household income for the last 6 months.

  2. Fill in the first form

    The official first step is Official Form 122A-1.

  3. When income is higher

    The second step subtracts allowed expenses on Official Form 122A-2.

Where to get free help in the District of Columbia

Questions about the means test in the District of Columbia

How much home equity can I keep in the District of Columbia?

Unlimited: your whole interest in real property you use as your residence, or in a cooperative that owns property you or a dependent use as a residence (also a burial plot)

Where do I file bankruptcy in the District of Columbia?

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. The District of Columbia is one bankruptcy district with one courthouse, so every D.C. filer uses the same court.

What income passes the means test in the District of Columbia?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $85,391; 2 people: $161,397; 3 people: $161,397; 4 people: $166,598; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in the District of Columbia?

Bankruptcy Assistance Center (free walk-in clinic at the courthouse, 1st and 3rd Fridays, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Room 1131A), D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center – Bankruptcy Clinic (free Chapter 7 representation for D.C. residents of limited means) and D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center – Advice & Referral Clinic and Legal Information Help Line.

Related the District of Columbia pages