The means test in Florida: median income
The Florida median income table and the first step of the means test.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
These are the official U.S. Trustee Program medians for Florida. If your household's yearly income is below the median for its size, you pass the first step.
- 1 person
- $69,876
- 2 people
- $86,523
- 3 people
- $97,540
- 4 people
- $114,761
- Each extra person
- +$11,100
- Medians apply to cases filed on or after
- April 1, 2026
Are you below the Florida median?
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Florida. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$69,876
- 2 people$86,523
- 3 people$97,540
- 4 people$114,761
- 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 bankruptcy courts in Florida
You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Florida has three districts. Find your division by county: Northern District list https://www.flnb.uscourts.gov/sites/flnb/files/city_county_listings.pdf, Middle District list https://www.flmb.uscourts.gov/counties/, Southern District list https://www.flsb.uscourts.gov/court/locations.
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: Tallahassee, Pensacola, Panama City, Gainesville
Clerk's phone: (850) 521-5001 or toll-free (866) 639-4615
Divisions: Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers (Fort Myers has no staffed bankruptcy clerk's office; self-represented filers file in Tampa by hand or mail)
Clerk's phone: Jacksonville (904) 301-6490; Orlando (407) 237-8000; Tampa and Fort Myers (813) 301-5162
Divisions: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach
Clerk's phone: Miami (305) 714-1800; Fort Lauderdale (954) 769-5700; West Palm Beach (561) 514-4100
Florida exemptions in brief
In Florida you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).
Home (homestead): unlimited dollar value.
Car or other vehicle: $5,000 of your interest in a single motor vehicle (per debtor)
Wildcard (any property): $4,000 in any personal property, but only if you do not claim or receive the benefit of the Florida homestead exemption. Does not apply against child support or spousal support debts.
In nearby states
- Georgia: 1 person $68,478 · 2 people $84,965 · 3 people $101,479 · 4 people $123,481
- South Carolina: 1 person $64,808 · 2 people $83,761 · 3 people $95,672 · 4 people $116,314
- Alabama: 1 person $64,321 · 2 people $77,451 · 3 people $92,698 · 4 people $106,740
- Mississippi: 1 person $53,978 · 2 people $70,328 · 3 people $82,846 · 4 people $97,464
- North Carolina: 1 person $67,117 · 2 people $84,384 · 3 people $101,535 · 4 people $116,737
- Tennessee: 1 person $63,979 · 2 people $82,846 · 3 people $97,511 · 4 people $109,585
What to do now in Florida
Total your income
Use pay stubs and benefit letters for the 6 full months before you file.
Do the official first step
Your income is figured on Official Form 122A-1.
Above the median?
Next comes the expense calculation on Official Form 122A-2.
File in your court
Your court: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District.
Where to get free help in Florida
- Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Clinic (Bankruptcy Bar Association for the N.D. Fla.)
- N.D. Fla. Bankruptcy Bar Pro Bono Initiative – P.L.A.N. program · 866-944-6421
- Florida State University College of Law Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinic
- Middle District of Florida – Pro Se Assistance Clinics (Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa) and court Legal Assistance Program
- Southern District of Florida – free virtual bankruptcy clinics (monthly, Zoom)
- Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida – free legal consultation request
- Legal Aid Society of the Dade County Bar Association – Put Something Back bankruptcy project · (305) 579-5733
- The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service (reduced-fee first meeting) · (800) 342-8011
- FloridaLawHelp.org
- Northern District – Court's self-help page
- Middle District – Court's self-help page
- Southern District – Court's self-help page
Questions about the means test in Florida
How much home equity can I keep in Florida?
Unlimited dollar value. Area limit: up to one-half acre of contiguous land inside a city or town (municipality), or up to 160 acres of contiguous land outside a municipality, plus the home on it.
How do I find my bankruptcy court in Florida?
You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Florida has three districts. Find your division by county: Northern District list https://www.flnb.uscourts.gov/sites/flnb/files/city_county_listings.pdf, Middle District list https://www.flmb.uscourts.gov/counties/, Southern District list https://www.flsb.uscourts.gov/court/locations.
What is the median income for the means test in Florida?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $69,876; 2 people: $86,523; 3 people: $97,540; 4 people: $114,761; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Florida?
Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Pro Se Clinic (Bankruptcy Bar Association for the N.D. Fla.), N.D. Fla. Bankruptcy Bar Pro Bono Initiative – P.L.A.N. program and Florida State University College of Law Bankruptcy Pro Bono Clinic.