1 Child
~15%
3.0pp below average
Data updated September 2026
2020 guideline data Income Shares model OCSE FY2023 source
Arkansas Child Support Guidelines
Arkansas posts 64.1% of its Title IV-D caseload with an established order - thinner than two-thirds of reporting jurisdictions on OCSE P-64 (methodology and case-counting also move this share). The Income Shares schedule (43 jurisdictions on this model) opens lower than most peers before deviations.
- 15%
- 1-child base rate
- #48 of 51
- base-rate rank
- #27
- enforcement caseload rank
- 64.1%
- cases with order
$612/mo
One-child base rate at Arkansas's median income
15% of $48,952, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Arkansas, divided across twelve months, 36% below 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.
OCSE guideline posture brief
Arkansas Title IV-D posture in this snapshot
Entity-varying stamps from NCSL guideline tables and OCSE FY2023 preliminary reporting (P-52 caseload, P-4 collections, P-64 order share) - not a clone nationwide scaffold.
- 15% published one-child starting rate #48 of 51
- Income 43 jurisdictions share this model
- 64.1% caseload with support order (OCSE P-64) #51 nationally
- 145,678 Title IV-D caseload (OCSE P-52) #27 by volume
- $1,734 distributed collections per case (our calc)
- North Dakota nearest rate peer (Δ 0.7 pts)
- 2020 guideline vintage on registry
One-child rate neighbourhood
Published starting percentages among the nearest rate peers (snapshot September 2026).
Income Shares · INC · LOW
National context
Where Arkansas's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point band. Arkansas's lower-third 15% mark is highlighted. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Arkansas's 15% published one-child base rate is higher than 3 of 51 recorded state rates. The comparison describes guideline starting percentages, not a complete child-support estimate. Arkansas sits in a lower-rate band on this histogram.
Source: State guideline records, 51 jurisdictions with published one-child base rates
2 Children
~22%
3.7pp below average
3 Children
~28%
3.3pp below average
4 Children
~32%
3.2pp below average
Income Cap
None
uncapped
Thinner order-establishment share
Arkansas in the thinner-order third
Arkansas sits in the bottom third on OCSE P-64 order share (64.1% · #51 of 51).
Arkansas posts 64.1% of its Title IV-D caseload with an established order - thinner than two-thirds of reporting jurisdictions on OCSE P-64 (methodology and case-counting also move this share). The Income Shares schedule (43 jurisdictions on this model) opens lower than most peers before deviations. Unlike capped states, the formula applies to full reported income before deductions. Nearest one-child rate peer: North Dakota at 14.35% (Δ 0.7 pts). Arkansas allows a parenting-time adjustment when the non-custodial parent exercises substantial overnight time. A percentage figure alone does not determine the dollar amount - compare Arkansas to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, Arkansas ranks #51 of 51 on order-establishment share and #27 by caseload volume (~$1,734 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
How Arkansas Calculates Child Support
Arkansas uses the Income Shares model. Both parents' incomes are combined, the total obligation is looked up from a schedule, then split proportionally based on each parent's income share. Its one-child base rate is a comparatively low starting point among states. That lower-third starting rate is the schedule's open before deviations.
Income Shares model. Uses chart-based schedule.
Arkansas guideline parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | Uncapped |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $48,952/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 15% (rank #48 of 51) |
Not legal advice for Arkansas: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current Arkansas schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in Arkansas.
Arkansas Child Support Enforcement
145,678
Active Cases
$252.6M
Annual Collections
64.1%
Cases with Orders
$1,734
Collected per case (our calculation)
Arkansas vs national average (51 reporting states)
Cases with orders 64.1%
national
64.1% of Arkansas's caseload has a support order established; average across the 51 jurisdictions 86.6%.
Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report, Tables P-52 (caseload), P-4 (distributed collections) and P-64 (cases with orders)
F
State Support Program Score
24/100
Arkansas
Based on order-establishment rate, per-case collection efficiency, and calculator access from federal OCSE and Census ACS data, not the guideline percentage itself, case outcomes, or any individual family's experience.
Order Establishment F
64.1%
Share of caseload with a support order in place (OCSE Table P-64); 51-state range 80.5%-93.8%, median 86.6%
Collection Efficiency F
$1,734/case
Dollars collected per enforcement case per year (OCSE Table P-4); 51-state range $1,522-$2,922, median $2,131
Income-Adjusted Collections B
3.54% of median income
Collections per case relative to state median household income (OCSE + Census ACS); 51-state range 2.39%-4.24%, median 3.16%
Calculator Access F
Not published
Whether the state publishes an official online support calculator
Interactive Calculator for Arkansas
The Arkansas interactive calculator is being finalized. Use the official state calculator below for your estimate.
Official AR CalculatorNearest one-child rate peers
Closest published starting percentages to Arkansas's 15% (LOW band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how Arkansas guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Data sources for Arkansas
Guideline parameters from Arkansas statutes and published schedules; enforcement columns from HHS OCSS FY2023 Preliminary Report (P-52 / P-4 / P-64). See methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainChildSupport for Arkansas.