Legalconsumer.com has just updated its Means Test Calculator to incorporate the latest expense deductions announced by the justice department that take effect May 15, 2023
The new numbers affect Part 2 of the means test, where above-median-income debtors are asked to list their monthly expenses. Some of those expenses are “actual” expenses, while others are based on “allowances” based on where state or county where the person lives.
These expense standards, updated every May, are based on collection standards used by the IRS when deciding whether to pursue delinquent tax debts.
You can find your numbers by looking through these tables, or — a simpler way — go to the Means Test Calculator page and enter your Zip Code and Household Size, and the appropriate numbers will be entered into the form.
Health Care Allowances (Line 7 of Form 122A-2)
These standards are applied nationwide.
| Out of Pocket Costs (per person) | |
| Under 65 | $79 |
| 65 and Older | $154 |
National Expense Standards for Food And Clothing
These standards are also applied nationwide.
| Expense | One Person | Two Persons | Three Persons | Four Persons |
| Food | $466 | $777 | $936 | $1,123 |
| Housekeeping supplies | $47 | $80 | $85 | $90 |
| Apparel & services | $96 | $145 | $207 | $252 |
| Personal care products & services | $43 | $78 | $91 | $97 |
| Miscellaneous | $189 | $309 | $381 | $431 |
| Total | $841 | $1,389 | $1,700 | $1,993 |
| More than four persons | Additional Persons Amount | |||
| For each additional person, add to four-person total allowance: | $356 | |||
| One Person | Two Persons | Three Persons | Four Persons | |
| Food & Clothing | $562 | $922 | $1,143 | $1,375 |
| 5% of Food & Clothing | $28 | $46 | $57 | $69 |
| Additional Persons Amount | ||||
| More than 4 persons | ||||
| Food & Clothing | $246 | |||
| 5% of Food & Clothing | $12 |
Transportation Expenses Standards By “Region”
Means Test, Part 2 (Expense Deductions: Local Standards) Lines 11-15
These figures are uniformly down from 2022.
The Public Transportation allowance has decreased from 242 to 218, and in all areas, the allowances for car operating costs have decreased in every city.
Seven Most Expensive Urban Regions to Operate a Car
- New York ($379/758)
- Miami ($364/728)
- Los Angeles ($339/678)
- San Diego ($322/644)
- Philadelphia ($318/636)
- Detroit ($315/630)
- Houston ($312/624)
Four Cheapest Urban Regions to Operate a Car
- Minneapolis/St. Paul ($214/428)
- Cleveland ($225/450)
- Honolulu ($243/486)
- St. Louis ($244/488)
| Allowable Transportation Expenses | ||
| Public Transportation | ||
| National | $218 | |
| Ownership Costs | ||
| One Car | Two Cars | |
| National | $629 | $1,258 |
| Operating Costs | ||
| One Car | Two Cars | |
| Northeast Region | $298 | $596 |
| Boston | $294 | $588 |
| New York | $379 | $758 |
| Philadelphia | $318 | $636 |
| Midwest Region | $225 | $450 |
| Chicago | $265 | $530 |
| Cleveland | $225 | $450 |
| Detroit | $315 | $630 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $214 | $428 |
| St. Louis | $244 | $488 |
| South Region | $242 | $484 |
| Atlanta | $300 | $600 |
| Baltimore | $277 | $554 |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth | $288 | $576 |
| Houston | $312 | $624 |
| Miami | $364 | $728 |
| Tampa | $297 | $594 |
| Washington, D.C. | $294 | $588 |
| West Region | $264 | $528 |
| Anchorage | $208 | $416 |
| Denver | $279 | $558 |
| Honolulu | $243 | $486 |
| Los Angeles | $339 | $678 |
| Phoenix | $271 | $542 |
| San Diego | $322 | $644 |
| San Francisco | $301 | $602 |
| Seattle | $281 | $562 |
Transportation Regions: Defined
| Northeast Census Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey | ||
| Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) Within the Northeast Census Region | ||
| MSA | COUNTIES (unless otherwise specified) | |
| Boston | in MA: | Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk |
| in NH: | Rockingham, Strafford | |
| New York | in NY: | Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange,Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester |
| in NJ: | Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union | |
| in PA: | Pike | |
| Philadelphia | in PA: | Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia |
| in NJ: | Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem | |
| in DE: | New Castle | |
| in MD: | Cecil | |
| Midwest Census Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa | ||
| Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) Within the Midwest Census Region | ||
| MSA | COUNTIES (unless otherwise specified) | |
| Chicago | in IL: | Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will |
| in IN: | Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter | |
| in WI: | Kenosha | |
| Cleveland | in OH: | Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Summit |
| Detroit | in MI: | Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Wayne |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | in MN: | Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Washington, Wright |
| in WI: | Pierce, St. Croix | |
| St. Louis | in MO: | Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis county, Warren, St. Louis city |
| in IL: | Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair | |
| South Census Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama | ||
| Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) Within the South Census Region | ||
| MSA | COUNTIES (unless otherwise specified) | |
| Atlanta | in GA: | Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, Walton |
| Baltimore | in MD: | Anne Arundel, Baltimore county, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Queen Anne’s, Baltimore city |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth | in TX: | Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Wise |
| Houston | in TX: | Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller |
| Miami | in FL: | Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach |
| Tampa | in FL: | Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas |
| Washington, D.C. | in DC: | District of Columbia |
| in MD: | Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George | |
| in VA: | Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax county, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, Alexandria city, Fairfax city, Falls Church city, Fredericksburg city, Manassas city, Manassas Park city | |
| in WV: | Jefferson | |
| West Census Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Alaska, Hawaii | ||
| Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) Within the West Census Region | ||
| MSA | COUNTIES (unless otherwise specified) | |
| Anchorage | in AK: | Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna |
| Denver | in CO: | Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, Park |
| Honolulu | in HI: | Honolulu |
| Los Angeles | in CA: | Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino |
| Phoenix | in AZ: | Maricopa, Pinal |
| San Diego | in CA: | San Diego |
| San Francisco | in CA: | Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo |
| Seattle | in WA: | King, Pierce, Snohomish |
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Administrative Expenses (line 36 of form 122A-2 )
These amounts change once a year.\
For convenience, we have incorporated the Alabama and North Carolina numbers into this table.
| Schedule of Actual Administrative Expenses | |
| of Administering a Chapter 13 Plan | |
| (As required by 11 U.S.C. § 707(b)(2)(A)(ii)(III)) | |
| Effective as of March 2023 | |
| JUDICIAL DISTRICT | MULTIPLIER |
| Alaska | 10.0% |
| Arizona | 8.1% |
| Eastern Arkansas | 7.7% |
| Western Arkansas | 7.7% |
| Central California | 10.0% |
| Eastern California | 8.3% |
| Northern California | 10.0% |
| Southern California | 10.0% |
| Colorado | 9.7% |
| Connecticut | 8.0% |
| Delaware | 8.6% |
| District of Columbia | 8.0% |
| Middle Florida | 9.2% |
| Northern Florida | 10.0% |
| Southern Florida | 6.2% |
| Middle Georgia | 6.6% |
| Northern Georgia | 6.5% |
| Southern Georgia | 10.0% |
| Guam | 8.3% |
| Hawaii | 8.3% |
| Idaho | 10.0% |
| Central Illinois | 8.7% |
| Northern Illinois | 7.5% |
| Southern Illinois | 7.2% |
| Northern Indiana | 7.7% |
| Southern Indiana | 8.7% |
| Northern Iowa | 7.4% |
| Southern Iowa | 7.4% |
| Kansas | 9.2% |
| Eastern Kentucky | 7.5% |
| Western Kentucky | 4.9% |
| Eastern Louisiana | 8.5% |
| Middle Louisiana | 10.0% |
| Western Louisiana | 10.0% |
| Maine | 9.2% |
| Maryland | 8.0% |
| Massachusetts | 9.7% |
| Eastern Michigan | 10.0% |
| Western Michigan | 10.0% |
| Minnesota | 9.1% |
| Northern Mississippi | 8.4% |
| Southern Mississippi | 10.0% |
| Eastern Missouri | 6.0% |
| Western Missouri | 6.7% |
| Montana | 10.0% |
| Nebraska | 8.9% |
| Nevada | 10.0% |
| New Hampshire | 10.0% |
| New Jersey | 8.9% |
| New Mexico | 8.1% |
| Eastern New York | 8.6% |
| Northern New York | 10.0% |
| Southern New York | 8.8% |
| Western New York | 10.0% |
| North Dakota | 9.1% |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 8.3% |
| Northern Ohio | 10.0% |
| Southern Ohio | 8.3% |
| Eastern Oklahoma | 10.0% |
| Northern Oklahoma | 8.6% |
| Western Oklahoma | 6.3% |
| Oregon | 7.9% |
| Eastern Pennsylvania | 9.0% |
| Middle Pennsylvania | 6.7% |
| Western Pennsylvania | 5.4% |
| Puerto Rico | 8.5% |
| Rhode Island | 9.4% |
| South Carolina | 8.6% |
| South Dakota | 9.1% |
| Eastern Tennessee | 5.1% |
| Middle Tennessee | 4.6% |
| Western Tennessee | 10.0% |
| Eastern Texas | 8.2% |
| Northern Texas | 10.0% |
| Southern Texas | 8.7% |
| Western Texas | 10.0% |
| Utah | 7.2% |
| Vermont | 8.1% |
| Virgin Islands | 8.5% |
| Eastern Virginia | 10.0% |
| Western Virginia | 8.9% |
| Eastern Washington | 10.0% |
| Western Washington | 6.0% |
| Northern West Virginia | 10.0% |
| Southern West Virginia | 10.0% |
| Eastern Wisconsin | 7.1% |
| Western Wisconsin | 6.0% |
| Wyoming | 8.9% |
Last updated: May 2023
For odd reasons, the numbers for District Courts in Alabama and North Carolina are not on this list. For those numbers you have to go to a separate place, here.
| Effective Date | 10.1.13 | 10.1.14 | 10.1.15 | 10.1.16 | 10.1.17 | 10.1.18 | 10.1.19 | 10.1.20 | 10.1.21 | 10.1.22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Dist. North Carolina | 7% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 6% | 6.5% | 6% | 6.50% | 7% | 7% |
| Middle Dist. North Carolina | 6% | 6% | 6.5% | 7% | 7% | 7.25% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% |
| Western Dist. North Carolina | 5.13% | 5.02% | 4.83% | 4.77% | 4.85% | 4.99% | 4.97% | 7.8% | 4.79% | 5.18% |
| Northern Dist. Alabama | 7% | 6.53% | 7% | 8.2% | 7.63% | 7.55% | 6.9% | 7.38% | 7.34% | 5.99% |
| Middle Dist. Alabama | 4.9% | 5.19% | 5.22% | 5.17% | 5.82% | 5.77% | 5.77% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 6.5% |
| Southern Dist. Alabama | 5% | 5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.89% | 5.75% | 5.69% | 5.58% | 5.85% | 5.83% |
Last updated: October 2022
