72 FR 59 pgs. 14579-14581 - State Median Income Estimate for a Four-Person Family: Notice of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2008 State Median Income Estimates for Use Under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance

Type: NOTICEVolume: 72Number: 59Pages: 14579 - 14581
FR document: [FR Doc. E7-5631 Filed 3-27-07; 8:45 am]
Agency: Health and Human Services Department
Sub Agency: Administration for Children and Families
Official PDF Version:  PDF Version

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

State Median Income Estimate for a Four-Person Family: Notice of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2008 State Median Income Estimates for Use Under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance

AGENCY:

Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice of estimated State median income estimates for FFY 2008.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the estimated median income for four-person families in each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2008 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008). LIHEAP grantees may adopt the State median income estimates beginning with the date of publication in the Federal Register or at a later date as discussed below. This enables LIHEAP grantees to choose to implement this notice during the period between the heating and cooling seasons. However, by October 1, 2007, or the beginning of a grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later, LIHEAP grantees using State median income estimates must adjust their income eligibility criteria to be in accord with the FFY 2008 State median income estimates.

This listing of estimated State median incomes provides one of the maximum income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may use in determining a household's income eligibility for LIHEAP.

DATES:

Effective Date: The estimates are effective at any time between the date of this publication and October 1, 2007, or until the beginning of a LIHEAP grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Peter Edelman, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance, 5th Floor West, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Telephone: (202) 401-5292, E-Mail: peter.edelman@acf.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Under the provisions of section 2603(11) of Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law (PL) 97-35, as amended, HHS announces the estimated median income of a four-person family for each State, the District of Columbia, and the United States for FFY 2008(October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008).

Section 2605(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the LIHEAP statute provides that 60 percent of the median income for each State, as annually established by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, is one of the income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may use in determining a household's eligibility for LIHEAP.

LIHEAP is authorized through the end of FFY 2008 by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, PL 109-58, enacted on August 8, 2005.

Estimates of the median income for a four-person family for each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2008 are produced by the Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, using the most recently available income data. In previous years, model-based estimates of the median income for a four-person family used the following data sources: (1) The Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement File; (2) the 2000 Decennial Census of Population; and (3) per capita personal income estimates, by State, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In preparing State-level, four-person family median income estimates for FFY 2008, the Census Bureau revised its methodology. The Census Bureau chose to use direct estimates derived from the American Community Survey (ACS) instead of using the model-based estimates. Generally, this change decreased, on average, State median income estimates by about 0.8 percent compared to the model-based estimates.

There are two key advantages in using the ACS over the previous methodology. First, as the Federal Government's largest current household survey (approximately 3 million addresses per year), the ACS is able to produce State-level estimates with very low sampling errors. Second, since it is possible to obtain reliable State income estimates directly from the ACS (as opposed to the previous methodology that used a model based on several data sources), ACS estimates will be available on a more timely basis. For example, the ACS 2005 State median income estimates were released by the Census Bureau in August 2006.

Information about the ACS is available at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/. For further information on the ACS State median income estimates, contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, at the Census Bureau (301) 763-3243.

A State-by-State listing of median income and 60 percent of median income for a four-person family for FFY 2008 follows. The listing describes the method for adjusting median income for families of different sizes as specified in regulations applicable to LIHEAP, at 45 CFR 96.85(b), published in the Federal Register on March 3, 1988 at 53 FR 6824.

Dated: March 21, 2007.

Yolanda Butler,

Deputy Director, Office of Community Services.

States Estimated State median income for a four-person family2 60 percent of estimated State median income for a four-person family
Alabama $53,690 $32,214
Alaska 76,560 45,936
Arizona 61,102 36,661
Arkansas 52,217 31,330
California 70,712 42,427
Colorado 70,300 42,180
Connecticut 92,205 55,323
Delaware 76,288 45,773
District of Columbia 50,248 30,149
Florida 62,269 37,361
Georgia 64,427 38,656
Hawaii 79,240 47,544
Idaho 52,470 31,482
Illinois 72,368 43,421
Indiana 64,564 38,738
Iowa 65,575 39,345
Kansas 64,929 38,957
Kentucky 54,992 32,995
Louisiana 55,945 33,567
Maine 64,806 38,884
Maryland 89,608 53,765
Massachusetts 85,420 51,252
Michigan 71,542 42,925
Minnesota 77,395 46,437
Mississippi 47,726 28,636
Missouri 63,847 38,308
Montana 55,641 33,385
Nebraska 64,800 38,880
Nevada 61,777 37,066
New Hampshire 81,522 48,913
New Jersey 90,261 54,157
New Mexico 48,223 28,934
New York 72,170 43,302
North Carolina 59,481 35,689
North Dakota 59,926 35,956
Ohio 66,734 40,040
Oklahoma 53,138 31,883
Oregon 61,945 37,167
Pennsylvania 68,646 41,188
Rhode Island 78,297 46,978
South Carolina 57,932 34,759
South Dakota 61,309 36,785
Tennessee 56,874 34,124
Texas 57,511 34,507
Utah 57,999 34,799
Vermont 71,382 42,829
Virginia 77,430 46,458
Washington 72,103 43,262
West Virginia 52,292 31,375
Wisconsin 71,064 42,638
Wyoming 62,933 37,760
Note: FFY 2008 covers the period of October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008. The estimated median income for a four-person family living in the United States is $67,019 for FFY 2008. The estimates are effective for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at any time between the date of this publication and October 1, 2007, or by the beginning of a LIHEAP grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later.
1 In accordance with 45 CFR 96.85, each State's estimated median income for a four-person family is multiplied by the following percentages to adjust for family size for LIHEAP: 52 percent for one person, 68 percent for two persons, 84 percent for three persons, 100 percent for four persons, 116 percent for five persons, and 132 percent for six persons. For each additional family member above six persons, add 3 percentage points to the percentage for a six-person family (132 percent), and multiply the new percentage by the State's estimated median income for a four-person family.
2 Prepared by the Census Bureau from the 2005 American Community Survey. For further information, contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division at the Census Bureau (301-763-3243).

[FR Doc. E7-5631 Filed 3-27-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-P