1 Child
~19%
1.0pp above average
Data updated September 2026
2022 guideline data Income Shares model OCSE FY2023 source
Colorado Child Support Guidelines
Colorado publishes a 19% one-child starting rate under Income Shares - higher-third among 51 recorded schedules. The Income Shares schedule (43 jurisdictions on this model) opens higher than most peers before deviations.
- 19%
- 1-child base rate
- #10 of 51
- base-rate rank
- #31
- enforcement caseload rank
- 85.9%
- cases with order
$1,221/mo
One-child base rate at Colorado's median income
19% of $77,127, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Colorado, divided across twelve months, 28% 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.
OCSE guideline posture brief
Colorado 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.
- 19% published one-child starting rate #10 of 51
- Income 43 jurisdictions share this model
- 85.9% caseload with support order (OCSE P-64) #28 nationally
- 124,899 Title IV-D caseload (OCSE P-52) #31 by volume
- $2,277 distributed collections per case (our calc)
- District of nearest rate peer (Δ 0.0 pts)
- 2022 guideline vintage on registry
One-child rate neighbourhood
Published starting percentages among the nearest rate peers (snapshot September 2026).
Income Shares · INC · MID
National context
Where Colorado's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point band. Colorado's higher-third 19% mark is highlighted. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Colorado's 19% published one-child base rate is higher than 34 of 51 recorded state rates. The comparison describes guideline starting percentages, not a complete child-support estimate. Colorado sits in a higher-rate band on this histogram.
Source: State guideline records, 51 jurisdictions with published one-child base rates
2 Children
~27%
1.3pp above average
3 Children
~33%
1.7pp above average
4 Children
~37%
1.8pp above average
Income Cap
None
uncapped
Higher one-child starting rate
Colorado in the higher-rate third
Colorado's published 19% one-child base sits in the higher third (#10 of 51).
Colorado publishes a 19% one-child starting rate under Income Shares - higher-third among 51 recorded schedules. The Income Shares schedule (43 jurisdictions on this model) opens higher than most peers before deviations. Unlike capped states, the formula applies to full reported income before deductions. Nearest one-child rate peer: District of Columbia at 19% (Δ 0.0 pts). Colorado 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 Colorado to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, Colorado ranks #28 of 51 on order-establishment share and #31 by caseload volume (~$2,277 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
How Colorado Calculates Child Support
Colorado 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 in line with the national middle range. That higher-third starting rate is the schedule's open before deviations.
Income Shares model. Significant parenting time adjustment above 92 overnights.
Colorado guideline parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | Uncapped |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $77,127/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 19% (rank #10 of 51) |
Not legal advice for Colorado: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current Colorado schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in Colorado.
Colorado Child Support Enforcement
124,899
Active Cases
$284.4M
Annual Collections
85.9%
Cases with Orders
$2,277
Collected per case (our calculation)
Colorado vs national average (51 reporting states)
Cases with orders 85.9%
national
85.9% of Colorado'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)
D
State Support Program Score
40/100
Colorado
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 D
85.9%
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 C+
$2,277/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 F
2.95% 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 Colorado
The Colorado interactive calculator is being finalized. Use the official state calculator below for your estimate.
Official CO CalculatorNearest one-child rate peers
Closest published starting percentages to Colorado's 19% (MID band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how Colorado guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Data sources for Colorado
Guideline parameters from Colorado 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 Colorado.