Compare Child Support Guidelines
Select 2 to 3 states to place formulas, one-child base rates, and income floors side by side. According to HHS OCSE, all 51 Title IV-D agencies handled 11.88 million cases in FY2023; the coverage board below shows which independently checkable fields those agencies carry in this archive.
- 43
- Income Shares states
- 5
- Percentage-of-income
- 3
- Melson formula
- ~18%
- Avg 1-child base
What a comparison can actually return
One-child base rates are published for 51 of 51 jurisdictions. Income ceilings appear on only 8 (16%), and income floors on 2 (4%).
According to compiled states-table field presence (base_pct_1child, income_ceiling, income_floor, official_calculator_url), not OCSE caseload tables.
- 100%
- 1-child base rate present
- 16%
- income ceiling published
- 4%
- income floor published
- 98%
- official calculator URL
Coverage is field presence in the states table, not a live obligation estimate, court order, or benefit confirmation. Model counts in the hero rail are a different cut of the same table.
Formula-model inventory across 51 jurisdictions
Exclusive model classes. Segments sum to the states table, a catalog shape, not the field-presence coverage board below.
Data-layer coverage for this compare tool
Source: HHS Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and state Title IV-D guideline publications states.formula_type / base_pct_* / income_floor / income_ceiling / parenting_time_adjustment / guidelines_url / official_calculator_url · 2023 Layer counts are COUNT(*) presence checks on the compiled states table. Sparse ceiling and floor rows mean those columns are often blank in source publications, not missing from the tool.
Pick states to compare
One-child base rate in this comparison
| Metric | California Income Shares | Texas Percentage of Income |
|---|---|---|
| Formula Type | Income Shares | Percentage of Income |
| 1 Child % | ~20% | ~20% |
| 2 Children % | ~30% | ~25% |
| 3 Children % | ~38% | ~30% |
| 4 Children % | ~42% | ~35% |
| Income Floor | None published | None published |
| Income Ceiling | $30,000/mo | $9,200/mo |
| Parenting Time Adj. | Yes | Yes |
| Last Updated | 2023 | 2024 |
| Median HH Income | $84,097/yr | $67,321/yr |
| Guideline index | $1,402/mo | $1,122/mo |
Key Differences
- • These states use different formula models. Moving between states can significantly change your obligation even with the same income.
- • Open the calculator for each state to estimate your specific obligation with your income and parenting time.
Every figure on PlainChildSupport is rendered directly from official state guidelines and federal enforcement data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Our database was last rebuilt on 2026-09-09.
PlainChildSupport publishes state guideline data and federal enforcement statistics for informational purposes only. It is not legal or financial advice, a calculator result is not an order, and every state allows deviations a court decides case by case, so confirm any figure with the state child-support agency or an attorney before you rely on it. Appropriate use.