Iowa Child Support Calculator
Enter both parents' incomes, number of children, and parenting time to estimate the Iowa monthly child support obligation under the Income Shares model. Consult a family law attorney for a binding order.
- 17%
- 1-child base rate
- #33 of 51
- base-rate rank
- No cap
- income ceiling
- 94.1%
- cases with a support order
$927/mo
One-child base rate at Iowa's median income
17% of $65,429, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Iowa, divided across twelve months, 3% below 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
Iowa carries a below-median one-child base rate.
According to Iowa Title IV-D guideline publication, last checked 2023.
- 17%
- published 1-child starting rate
- 94.1%
- 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
Lower-band view: where Iowa's one-child start sits
Each bar counts jurisdictions with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point guideline band. Iowa is marked in its own band; counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Iowa's 17% published one-child starting rate is higher than 6 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
Income Shares peers by one-child starting rate
Source: State Title IV-D guideline publications compiled in PlainChildSupport states.base_pct_1child filtered by formula_type · 2023 Peer board lists up to 10 Income Shares states sorted by published one-child starting rate. Counts match SELECT COUNT on the live states table.
Dense order-establishment share
Iowa calculator in the denser-order third
Iowa sits in the top third on OCSE P-64 order share (94.1% · #5 of 51).
Iowa applies the Income Shares model with a published 17% one-child start. OCSE reports 94.1% of its Title IV-D cases carry a support order — a denser order-establishment share than most states. Enter the incomes this model requires; the official worksheet remains the authority for a binding order.
Sources: Iowa Child Support Guidelines · HHS OCSE Annual Report to Congress (Form 157) · estimate only; a court order requires the official worksheet.
Interactive Calculator for Iowa
Iowa uses the Income Shares to calculate child support. Both parents' combined income and each parent's share of it are used to look up the obligation on the state's published child support schedule.
Our Iowa interactive calculator is in development. Phase 1 covers the 10 largest states.
Use Official Iowa CalculatorIowa Guideline Summary
~17%
1 Child
~25%
2 Children
~30%
3 Children
None
Income Cap
Calculators nearest Iowa's 17% 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Iowa's one-child start read low nationally?
Iowa's 17% published one-child starting rate is higher than 6 of 51 recorded state rates. This comparison describes the published starting percentage, not a complete child-support estimate.
Does Iowa publish an income ceiling for this estimate?
No income ceiling is recorded in this portal's 2023 Iowa guideline dataset. The official worksheet remains the authority for a binding calculation.