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2021 guideline data Income Shares model Estimates only

Rhode Island Child Support Calculator

Enter both parents' incomes, number of children, and parenting time to estimate the Rhode Island monthly child support obligation under the Income Shares model. Consult a family law attorney for a binding order.

19%
1-child base rate
#10 of 51
base-rate rank
No cap
income ceiling
73.9%
cases with a support order

$1,172/mo

One-child base rate at Rhode Island's median income

#15 of 51

Nationally, highest first

19% of $74,008, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Rhode Island, divided across twelve months, 23% 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

Rhode Island carries a top-quartile one-child base rate.

According to Rhode Island Title IV-D guideline publication, last checked 2021.

19%
published 1-child starting rate
73.9%
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

Higher-band view: where Rhode Island's one-child start sits

Each bar counts jurisdictions with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point guideline band. Rhode Island is marked in its own band; counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.

  1. 13-15%
  2. 16-18%
  3. 19-21%
  4. 22-24%
  5. 25-27%

Rhode Island's 19% published one-child starting rate is higher than 34 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

1. District of Columbia19%2. Minnesota19%3. New Hampshire19%4. Oregon19%5. Rhode Island19%6. Utah19%7. Alabama18%8. Arizona18%9. Indiana18%10. Kansas18%
Rhode Island is highlighted among 43 Income Shares jurisdictions with a published base_pct_1child. Same model family, different statutory schedules; not a finished obligation ranking.

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 Income Shares states sorted by published one-child starting rate. Counts match SELECT COUNT on the live states table.

Thinner order-establishment share

Rhode Island calculator in the thinner-order third

Rhode Island sits in the bottom third on OCSE P-64 order share (73.9% · #50 of 51).

Rhode Island applies the Income Shares model with a published 19% one-child start. OCSE reports 73.9% 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: Rhode Island Child Support Guidelines · HHS OCSE Annual Report to Congress (Form 157) · estimate only; a court order requires the official worksheet.

Interactive Calculator for Rhode Island

Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island interactive calculator is in development. Phase 1 covers the 10 largest states.

Use Official Rhode Island Calculator

Rhode Island Guideline Summary

~19%

1 Child

~27%

2 Children

~33%

3 Children

None

Income Cap

View full Rhode Island guidelines →

Calculators nearest Rhode Island's 19% 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 Rhode Island's one-child start read high nationally?

Rhode Island's 19% published one-child starting rate is higher than 34 of 51 recorded state rates. This comparison describes the published starting percentage, not a complete child-support estimate.

Does Rhode Island publish an income ceiling for this estimate?

No income ceiling is recorded in this portal's 2021 Rhode Island guideline dataset. The official worksheet remains the authority for a binding calculation.

This Rhode Island estimate uses Rhode Island's own published guideline parameters and HHS OCSS child support enforcement caseload/collections data (2025). See our methodology for details.