Policy & Economics

Dell $250 Trump Account ZIP Codes: Check Eligibility

Dell $250 ZIP code lookup for Trump Accounts. Born 2016–2024 + Median Family Income $150,000 or less. Confirm at investamerica.org/dell.

February 22, 2026 TrumpAccounts.guide Editorial Team 5 min read

Last verified: 2026-07-23

Key Takeaways

Michael & Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion — $$250 per child $born 2016–2024 in qualifying ZIP codes.
Qualifying ZIP codes have Median Family Income (MFI) of $$150,000 or less — not median household income.
This threshold covers roughly 90%+ of U.S. ZCTAs in recent ACS data. Most neighborhoods qualify; some near the cutoff do not.
Confirm at investamerica.org/dell or the Trump Accounts app (source of truth), or use our ZIP checker.
If a site uses household income, it can show a false “yes” when the official app says no.

Michael and Susan Dell pledged $$6.25 billion to fund Trump Accounts for children in lower-income communities. Each qualifying child receives $250 deposited directly into their account. The key question: does your ZIP code qualify?

✅ Most neighborhoods qualify — but use the right income number

Dell’s cutoff is Median Family Income of $$150,000 or less. That covers most U.S. ZIP codes. Near the cutoff, household income can mislead you: it is usually lower than MFI, so a ZIP can look eligible on household maps and still fail in the Trump Accounts app.

How the Dell Pledge ZIP Code Eligibility Works

The Dell Foundation's pledge uses a simple formula:

Child age: Must be $born 2016–2024
ZIP code: The child must live in a ZIP code where Median Family Income (MFI) is $$150,000 or less
Amount: $$250 per qualifying child

The income threshold is based on the ZIP code’s MFI, not your family's income. A high-earning family in a modest ZIP code can still qualify. A lower-income family in a high-MFI ZIP code does not qualify for Dell — even if household-income charts look lower.

How to Check Your ZIP Code Right Now

Fastest path: use the official checkers, then our estimate for the “why.”

Confirm at investamerica.org/dell or in the Trump Accounts app.
Or use our ZIP grant eligibility checker — it uses Census ACS table B19113 (Median Family Income) by ZCTA and explains why you do or do not pass the ZIP rule.
To look up Census yourself at data.census.gov: search your ZIP, open ACS 5-Year Estimates, and use B19113: Median Family Income (not B19013 median household income).
If MFI is $$150,000 or less, the ZIP side of Dell eligibility can pass. Birth year $2016–2024 still applies.

⚠️ Do not use household income as a shortcut

Census QuickFacts and many “income by ZIP” sites show median household income. Dell does not. Example: ZIP 63144 can look well under $$150,000 on household income, but ACS Median Family Income is about $152,847 — just over the line — matching the Trump Accounts app’s “not eligible” result.

Why $$150,000 Covers Most of America

The $$150,000 threshold is generous. Here is how it compares to income across the country:

Area	Median Family Income	Qualifies?
U.S. national median	~$75,000	Yes
Typical suburban ZIP code	$60,000–$120,000	Yes (most)
Urban center / mid-size city	$40,000–$90,000	Yes
Rural America	$35,000–$65,000	Yes
Wealthy suburbs (e.g., Palo Alto, Greenwich)	$150,000–$300,000+	No

Only ZIP codes in affluent enclaves — think parts of Silicon Valley, Manhattan's Upper East Side, Fairfield County in Connecticut — exceed the $$150,000 threshold. The vast majority of American neighborhoods are below it.

The Dell Pledge Is Per Child

The $$250 deposit applies to each qualifying child, not per family. A family with three children $born 2016–2024 in a qualifying ZIP code would receive $$750 total ($$250 per child).

Combined with the $1,000 federal deposit (for children born 2025–2028), each qualifying newborn could start with:

Source	Amount
Federal pilot deposit	$$1,000
Dell Foundation pledge	$$250
Total starting balance	$$1,250

Will There Be an Official Lookup Tool?

The Dell Foundation is expected to publish an official eligibility lookup tool once the program is fully operational. This will likely let you enter your ZIP code and immediately see if your child qualifies.

Until then, the Census Bureau data method described above is the most reliable way to check. The ACS 5-year estimates are the same data source the Dell Foundation will likely use to determine qualifying ZIP codes.

What if You Live on the Border?

ZIP code boundaries are not always obvious. If you live near the edge of two ZIP codes, check both. The qualifying one is the ZIP code on your mailing address — the one associated with your home address as reported on your tax return and IRS Form 4547.

If you recently moved, the address at the time of the Dell deposit distribution is what matters. Exact timing rules are still pending from the Dell Foundation.

Does the $$250 Count Toward the $5,000 Limit?

This is still pending IRS guidance. The Dell pledge is a private donation, not a government deposit. It will likely be treated as a contribution that counts toward the $$5,000 annual contribution cap.

If it does count, families in qualifying ZIP codes would have $$4,750 of room remaining for personal contributions in the year the Dell deposit is made.

ℹ️ The $${limits.dellPledge.perChildAmount} still compounds powerfully

Even $$250 matters over 18 years. At the S&P 500's historical average of about 10% per year, $$250 grows to roughly $1,390 by age 18. That is free money with no effort from the family. For full projections, see our Dell pledge analysis.

Scale of the Dell Pledge

At $$6.25 billion total, the Dell Foundation's pledge could reach roughly 25 million children ($6.25B / $$250 per child). That represents a large share of America's children $born 2016–2024.

It is the largest known private commitment to the Trump Account program. For a full breakdown of the Dell pledge and other corporate commitments, see our Dell pledge explainer and corporate pledges overview.

Next Steps

Check your ZIP code at data.census.gov using the steps above.
Open a Trump Account for your child if you have not already. Step-by-step guide here.
Bookmark this page — we will update it when the Dell Foundation launches its official lookup tool.
Check eligibility requirements at our full eligibility guide.

For everything about the grants and deposits available for Trump Accounts, including the federal deposit and corporate pledges, see our grants hub.

⚠️ Educational content only

This article is based on publicly announced details of the Dell Foundation's pledge. Distribution timelines, exact eligibility mechanics, and whether the $$250 counts toward the contribution cap may change pending IRS guidance. Check official sources for the latest information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my ZIP code qualifies for the Dell pledge?

Check your ZIP at investamerica.org/dell or use our grant eligibility calculator. Qualifying ZIPs generally have Median Family Income of $150,000 or less.

Is the zip code 20187 eligible for the $250 from trump account?

ZIP eligibility is based on Median Family Income of $150,000 or less for children born 2016–2024. Confirm your specific ZIP (including 20187) at investamerica.org/dell — that is the official checker. You can also try our ZIP checker.

Could get $250 dell zip code

Possibly. Michael and Susan Dell pledged $250 per child born 2016–2024 in qualifying ZIP codes. Open a Trump Account and confirm your ZIP at investamerica.org/dell. See how to claim Dell $250.

What is the income threshold for the Dell Trump Accounts pledge?

The threshold is based on your ZIP code's median family income, not your personal income. If the median family income in your ZIP code is $150,000 or less, children born 2016–2024 in that ZIP code may qualify for the $250 Dell deposit.

Is the Dell pledge per child or per family?

Per qualifying child. Each child born 2016–2024 living in a qualifying ZIP code may receive $250. A family with three qualifying children could receive $750 total.

Does the $250 Dell pledge count toward the $5,000 contribution limit?

Confirm current treatment in IRS guidance and Invest America materials. Family and employer contributions share the $5,000 annual cap — see our contribution limits page. We will update when the IRS clarifies private-pledge treatment.

When will Dell start making deposits?

The exact timeline has not been announced. Dell Foundation deposits are expected to begin after IRS-approved trustees are fully operational and the program infrastructure is in place. Confirm timing at investamerica.org/dell.

Sources:

IRS Notice 2025-68
trumpaccounts.gov
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), IRC Section 530A