diff --git a/changelog.d/derive-us-program-entities.changed.md b/changelog.d/derive-us-program-entities.changed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53ba0269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/derive-us-program-entities.changed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Derive US program-statistics entity from variable metadata instead of duplicating it in the program list.
diff --git a/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/us/analysis.py b/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/us/analysis.py
index 7bc1cd52..a285020d 100644
--- a/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/us/analysis.py
+++ b/src/policyengine/tax_benefit_models/us/analysis.py
@@ -28,18 +28,23 @@
 )
 from policyengine.utils.errors import format_conditional_error_detail
 
-US_PROGRAMS = {
-    "income_tax": {"entity": "tax_unit", "is_tax": True},
-    "employee_payroll_tax": {"entity": "tax_unit", "is_tax": True},
-    "state_income_tax": {"entity": "tax_unit", "is_tax": True},
-    "snap": {"entity": "spm_unit", "is_tax": False},
-    "tanf": {"entity": "spm_unit", "is_tax": False},
-    "ssi": {"entity": "person", "is_tax": False},
-    "social_security": {"entity": "person", "is_tax": False},
-    "medicare_cost": {"entity": "person", "is_tax": False},
-    "medicaid": {"entity": "person", "is_tax": False},
-    "eitc": {"entity": "tax_unit", "is_tax": False},
-    "ctc": {"entity": "tax_unit", "is_tax": False},
+# Map of US program-statistics variable name -> program metadata. The
+# entity for each program is derived from the variable's own metadata
+# at runtime (see ``_validate_program_statistics_config`` and
+# ``economic_impact_analysis``), so this list cannot silently drift
+# when policyengine-us moves a variable between entities.
+US_PROGRAMS: dict[str, dict] = {
+    "income_tax": {"is_tax": True},
+    "employee_payroll_tax": {"is_tax": True},
+    "state_income_tax": {"is_tax": True},
+    "snap": {"is_tax": False},
+    "tanf": {"is_tax": False},
+    "ssi": {"is_tax": False},
+    "social_security": {"is_tax": False},
+    "medicare_cost": {"is_tax": False},
+    "medicaid": {"is_tax": False},
+    "eitc": {"is_tax": False},
+    "ctc": {"is_tax": False},
 }
 
 
@@ -95,7 +100,7 @@ def _validate_program_statistics_config(
     missing_outputs: set[tuple[str, str]] = set()
 
     simulations = (baseline_simulation, reform_simulation)
-    for program_name, program_info in US_PROGRAMS.items():
+    for program_name in US_PROGRAMS:
         for simulation in simulations:
             model_version = simulation.tax_benefit_model_version
             try:
@@ -153,13 +158,14 @@ def economic_impact_analysis(
         income_variable="household_net_income",
     )
 
+    model_version = baseline_simulation.tax_benefit_model_version
     program_statistics = []
     for program_name, program_info in US_PROGRAMS.items():
         stats = ProgramStatistics(
             baseline_simulation=baseline_simulation,
             reform_simulation=reform_simulation,
             program_name=program_name,
-            entity=program_info["entity"],
+            entity=model_version.get_variable(program_name).entity,
             is_tax=program_info["is_tax"],
         )
         stats.run()
diff --git a/tests/test_us_program_statistics.py b/tests/test_us_program_statistics.py
index 2c5044f8..cef71cdf 100644
--- a/tests/test_us_program_statistics.py
+++ b/tests/test_us_program_statistics.py
@@ -103,13 +103,14 @@ def test_us_program_statistics_config_runs_against_mocked_outputs(tmp_path):
 
     _validate_program_statistics_config(baseline, reform)
 
+    model_version = baseline.tax_benefit_model_version
     results = {}
     for program_name, program_info in US_PROGRAMS.items():
         stats = ProgramStatistics(
             baseline_simulation=baseline,
             reform_simulation=reform,
             program_name=program_name,
-            entity=program_info["entity"],
+            entity=model_version.get_variable(program_name).entity,
             is_tax=program_info["is_tax"],
         )
         stats.run()
@@ -144,3 +145,10 @@ def test_us_program_statistics_config_fails_before_simulation_run(
         _validate_program_statistics_config(baseline, reform)
 
     assert "medicare_cost" in str(exc_info.value)
+
+
+def test_us_programs_entities_match_model_metadata():
+    for program_name in US_PROGRAMS:
+        assert program_name in us_latest.variables_by_name, (
+            f"{program_name} is not defined in the US model"
+        )