Delaware Child Support Calculator
Enter both parents' incomes, number of children, and parenting time to estimate the Delaware monthly child support obligation under the Melson Formula model. Consult a family law attorney for a binding order.
- 18%
- 1-child base rate
- #18 of 51
- base-rate rank
- No cap
- income ceiling
- 76.4%
- cases with a support order
$1,053/mo
One-child base rate at Delaware's median income
18% of $70,176, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Delaware, divided across twelve months, 11% above the median state. An index for comparing states, not a case estimate: guidelines apply to the obligor's income, or to combined parental income under the Income Shares model, and a court sets the actual order. How this is derived.
The verdict
Delaware carries an above-median one-child base rate.
According to Delaware Title IV-D guideline publication, last checked 2021.
- 18%
- published 1-child starting rate
- 76.4%
- of cases have a support order
Ranks describe published guideline starting rates across this portal's 51-jurisdiction table, not court outcomes or collection performance.
National context
Where Delaware's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts jurisdictions with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point guideline band. Delaware is marked in its own band; counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Delaware's 18% published one-child starting rate is higher than 19 of 51 recorded state rates. This comparison describes the published starting percentage, not a complete child-support estimate.
Source: Published state child-support guideline records in PlainChildSupport's 51-jurisdiction dataset
Melson Formula peers by one-child starting rate
Source: State Title IV-D guideline publications compiled in PlainChildSupport states.base_pct_1child filtered by formula_type · 2021 Peer board lists up to 10 Melson Formula states sorted by published one-child starting rate. Counts match SELECT COUNT on the live states table.
Thinner order-establishment share
Delaware calculator in the thinner-order third
Delaware sits in the bottom third on OCSE P-64 order share (76.4% · #49 of 51).
Delaware applies the Melson Formula model with a published 18% one-child start. OCSE reports 76.4% of its Title IV-D cases carry a support order — a thinner order-establishment share than most states. Enter the incomes this model requires; the official worksheet remains the authority for a binding order.
Sources: Delaware Child Support Guidelines · HHS OCSE Annual Report to Congress (Form 157) · estimate only; a court order requires the official worksheet.
Interactive Calculator for Delaware
Delaware uses the Melson Formula to calculate child support. A three-step formula ensures self-support reserves for both parents before calculating the child support obligation.
Our Delaware interactive calculator is in development. Phase 1 covers the 10 largest states.
Use Official Delaware CalculatorDelaware Guideline Summary
~18%
1 Child
~26%
2 Children
~32%
3 Children
None
Income Cap
Questions about this Delaware estimate
Where does Delaware's one-child starting rate sit nationally?
Delaware's 18% published one-child starting rate is higher than 19 of 51 recorded state rates. This comparison describes the published starting percentage, not a complete child-support estimate.
Does Delaware publish an income ceiling for this estimate?
No income ceiling is recorded in this portal's 2021 Delaware guideline dataset. The official worksheet remains the authority for a binding calculation.
Calculators nearest Delaware's 18% start
Sorted by absolute gap in published one-child starting rate among states with a verified interactive calculator. Not a recommendation of which worksheet to file.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Source: U.S. Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) - HHS Child support enforcement caseload and collections · 2025