Original data research from the PlainChildSupport editorial team. Every page derives at least one statistic from our own database, cites primary sources inline, and documents its methodology and limits.
42 of 51 US states use Income Shares, 6 use Percentage of Income, and 3 use the Melson self-support-reserve model — a mechanical split that produces radically different outcomes at identical incomes.
PlainChildSupport's enforcement data shows a 19.1 percentage-point gap between the best-performing and worst-performing US states on child support collection rate — a structural divergence that compounds to billions in unpaid support.
Of 51 US jurisdictions, only 10 publish official calculators that PlainChildSupport has verified against statute. The other 41 rely on PDF worksheets, third-party tools, or formulas parents must execute themselves.