Montana Child Support Calculator
Enter both parents' incomes, number of children, and parenting time to estimate the Montana 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
- 86.2%
- cases with a support order
$908/mo
One-child base rate at Montana's median income
18% of $60,560, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Montana, divided across twelve months, 5% 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
Montana carries an above-median one-child base rate.
According to Montana Title IV-D guideline publication, last checked 2021.
- 18%
- published 1-child starting rate
- 86.2%
- 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 Montana's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts jurisdictions with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point guideline band. Montana is marked in its own band; counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Montana'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.
Smaller Title IV-D caseload
Montana calculator in the light-caseload third
28,342 active cases put Montana in the lightest third by OCSE P-52 volume (#49).
Montana applies the Melson Formula model across a Title IV-D caseload of 28,342 active cases (lighter third nationally), with a published 18% one-child start. Parenting-time and add-on fields adjust the estimate; courts can still deviate.
Sources: Montana Child Support Guidelines · HHS OCSE Annual Report to Congress (Form 157) · estimate only; a court order requires the official worksheet.
Interactive Calculator for Montana
Montana 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 Montana interactive calculator is in development. Phase 1 covers the 10 largest states.
Use Official Montana CalculatorMontana Guideline Summary
~18%
1 Child
~26%
2 Children
~32%
3 Children
None
Income Cap
Questions about this Montana estimate
Where does Montana's one-child starting rate sit nationally?
Montana'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 Montana publish an income ceiling for this estimate?
No income ceiling is recorded in this portal's 2021 Montana guideline dataset. The official worksheet remains the authority for a binding calculation.
Calculators nearest Montana'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