Chapter 7 means test
Missouri means test median income
In Missouri the published median annual income is $64,972 for a household of one, rising with household size. A Chapter 7 filer whose income is at or below the median for their household size does not face the § 707(b)(2) presumption of abuse on the income comparison; income above it means the rest of the calculation is worked through, not that the door is closed.
Median income by household size
Household size counts the people in the household, not just those with income. The monthly column is the annual figure divided by twelve — the comparison the official form works in.
| Household size | Median annual income | Median monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $64,972 | $5,414 |
| 2 | $82,075 | $6,840 |
| 3 | $100,228 | $8,352 |
| 4 | $118,530 | $9,878 |
| 5 | $129,630 | $10,803 |
| 6 | $140,730 | $11,728 |
| 7 | $151,830 | $12,653 |
| 8 | $162,930 | $13,578 |
| 9 | $174,030 | $14,503 |
| 10 | $185,130 | $15,428 |
The figures above cover households up to 10. Larger households add a further published amount per person, which the source below states; we do not calculate it here.
What this comparison does and does not decide
- Income is measured as current monthly income — the average of the six full calendar months before filing, annualised — not last year’s tax return and not this month’s pay.
- Income at or below the median for the household size means the § 707(b)(2) presumption of abuse does not arise from the income comparison.
- Income above the median does not end a Chapter 7 case. It means the rest of the calculation is worked through — allowed expense standards, secured-debt payments and priority debts — and many households above the median still reach a Chapter 7 outcome.
- Which figures apply depends on the date a case is filed. The table above is the one in force for cases filed today.
- Some income is excluded from the calculation entirely, and which income counts is a question a bankruptcy lawyer answers on the facts.
Work through your own numbers
- Compare a household income to the Missouri median
The screener does the comparison against these same published figures.
- How the means test works, step by step
- What Missouri law protects — exemptions
- 11 U.S.C. § 707 — the section this comparison comes from
Turn this into a plan for your exact situation, state, and court.
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