Most say a family of four needs more than double poverty level Most say a family of four needs more than double poverty level. PRINCETON, N.J., May 19 (UPI) -- The federal poverty level for a U.S. family of four is just under $24,000, but most say a family of four needs $58,000 on average to "get by," a survey says. Gallup's April 11-14 Economics and Finance poll found 29 percent of U.S. adults said these families need up to $50,000 in annual income, 47 percent said they need $50,000-$99,999 and 10 percent said they need $100,000 or more. The average $58,000 a year to get by, was only a bit higher than what Gallup found six years ago, in 2007. At that time, Americans estimated that the smallest amount a family of four needed to get by in their community was about $52,000. At $58,000, Americans' perceptions of the amount it takes just to get by in their community is close to the national median household income, but well above the poverty line, Gallup said. Gallup first asked about the minimum amount per week a family of four needed to get by in the 1930s. The poll is based on telephone interviews of 1,012 adults conducted April 11-14. The survey has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.