Pennsylvania Child Support Calculator
Enter both parents' incomes, number of children, and parenting time to estimate the Pennsylvania monthly child support obligation under the Income Shares model. Consult a family law attorney for a binding order.
- 18%
- 1-child base rate
- #18 of 51
- base-rate rank
- $30,000
- income ceiling
- 91.5%
- cases with a support order
$1,034/mo
One-child base rate at Pennsylvania's median income
18% of $68,957, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Pennsylvania, divided across twelve months, 9% 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
Pennsylvania carries an above-median one-child base rate.
According to Pennsylvania Title IV-D guideline publication, last checked 2022.
- 18%
- published 1-child starting rate
- 91.5%
- of cases have a support order
- $30,000
- income ceiling
Ranks describe published guideline starting rates across this portal's 51-jurisdiction table, not court outcomes or collection performance.
National context
Where Pennsylvania's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts jurisdictions with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point guideline band. Pennsylvania is marked in its own band; counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Pennsylvania'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
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 · 2022 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
Pennsylvania calculator in the denser-order third
Pennsylvania sits in the top third on OCSE P-64 order share (91.5% · #11 of 51).
Pennsylvania applies the Income Shares model with a published 18% one-child start. OCSE reports 91.5% 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: Pennsylvania Child Support Guidelines · HHS OCSE Annual Report to Congress (Form 157) · estimate only; a court order requires the official worksheet.
Enter the details above to estimate Pennsylvania child support.
This calculator uses Pennsylvania's Income Shares guidelines.
Pennsylvania Guideline Summary
~18%
1 Child
~26%
2 Children
~32%
3 Children
$30,000/mo
Income Cap
Questions about this Pennsylvania estimate
Where does Pennsylvania's one-child starting rate sit nationally?
Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania cap the income used in this estimate?
Yes. This calculator applies the published $30,000 income ceiling before estimating the basic obligation. The official worksheet can apply additional rules or deviations.
Calculators nearest Pennsylvania'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