Percentage-of-Income states by one-child base rate
Only 5 of 51 jurisdictions still carry this model in our registry. The statutory percentage and the dollar index at each state's own median income can rank differently, neither is a case estimate.
- 5
- Percentage-of-Income jurisdictions
- 20%
- Highest base rate (Texas)
- 1.43x
- Spread, top to bottom rate
The verdict
Texas publishes the highest one-child base rate at 20% and leads the median-income index at $1,122/month, but Wisconsin ranks #3 on percentage (17%) yet #2 on the monthly index ($1,006/mo) because a lower percentage on a higher median income can outrank a higher percentage on a lower median. Across this 5-state cohort, 2 reorder when the percentage ranking is priced at each jurisdiction's own median household income, a comparison the statute tables do not publish together.
According to PlainChildSupport's state guideline dataset.
- 20%
- highest statutory rate: Texas
- $1,122
- highest monthly index: Texas
- 14%
- lowest statutory rate: Mississippi
- 5
- jurisdictions on this model
Data updated September 2026
According to the published child support guideline statutes of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions, five states apply a fixed percentage of the non-custodial parent's income by child count. Indiana, Nebraska, and Ohio are not on this list; our formula_type column classifies them as Income Shares based on their statutory text. Percentages come from each state's published guideline schedule, cross-referenced against nearly 11,900,000 Title IV-D cases reported in the Office of Child Support Services FY2023 preliminary data report (January 2024). See our methodology for source vintage and extraction details; the monthly index is for cross-state comparison only, not a support order for any real case.
Lowest vs highest monthly index
Mississippi $568/mo vs Texas $1,122/mo
| # | State | 1 child % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | |
| 2 | Nevada | |
| 3 | Wisconsin | |
| 4 | North Dakota | |
| 5 | Mississippi |
Source: PlainChildSupport states table (formula_type, base_pct_* tiers, median_household_income) cross-checked against each jurisdiction's published child support guideline schedule. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Download the child-support statistics extract cited on this page: child-support-statistics.csv (NCSL · OCSS · ACS · CC BY 4.0).
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.