1 Child
~17%
1.0pp below average
Data updated September 2026
2023 guideline data Income Shares model OCSE FY2023 source
Iowa Child Support Guidelines
Iowa posts 94.1% of its Title IV-D caseload with an established order - denser than two-thirds of reporting jurisdictions on OCSE P-64. The Income Shares schedule (43 jurisdictions on this model) opens lower than most peers before deviations.
- 17%
- 1-child base rate
- #33 of 51
- base-rate rank
- #28
- enforcement caseload rank
- 94.1%
- cases with order
$927/mo
One-child base rate at Iowa's median income
17% of $65,429, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Iowa, divided across twelve months, 3% 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
Iowa 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.
- 17% published one-child starting rate #33 of 51
- Income 43 jurisdictions share this model
- 94.1% caseload with support order (OCSE P-64) #5 nationally
- 138,524 Title IV-D caseload (OCSE P-52) #28 by volume
- $2,106 distributed collections per case (our calc)
- Connecticut nearest rate peer (Δ 0.0 pts)
- 2023 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 Iowa's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point band. Iowa's lower-third 17% mark is highlighted. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Iowa's 17% published one-child base rate is higher than 6 of 51 recorded state rates. The comparison describes guideline starting percentages, not a complete child-support estimate. Iowa sits in a lower-rate band on this histogram.
Source: State guideline records, 51 jurisdictions with published one-child base rates
2 Children
~25%
0.7pp below average
3 Children
~30%
1.3pp below average
4 Children
~34%
1.2pp below average
Income Cap
None
uncapped
Dense order-establishment share
Iowa in the denser-order third
Iowa sits in the top third on OCSE P-64 order share (94.1% · #5 of 51).
Iowa posts 94.1% of its Title IV-D caseload with an established order - denser than two-thirds of reporting jurisdictions on OCSE P-64. 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: Connecticut at 17% (Δ 0.0 pts). Iowa also builds a parenting-time credit into the guideline - relevant when a dense order book meets substantial overnight time. A percentage figure alone does not determine the dollar amount - compare Iowa to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, Iowa ranks #5 of 51 on order-establishment share and #28 by caseload volume (~$2,106 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
How Iowa Calculates Child Support
Iowa 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 lower-third starting rate is the schedule's open before deviations.
Income Shares model.
Iowa guideline parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | Uncapped |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $65,429/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 17% (rank #33 of 51) |
Not legal advice for Iowa: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current Iowa schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in Iowa.
Iowa Child Support Enforcement
138,524
Active Cases
$291.8M
Annual Collections
94.1%
Cases with Orders
$2,106
Collected per case (our calculation)
Iowa vs national average (51 reporting states)
Cases with orders 94.1%
national
94.1% of Iowa'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)
C
State Support Program Score
57/100
Iowa
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 A+
94.1%
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 D
$2,106/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 C-
3.22% 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 Iowa
The Iowa interactive calculator is being finalized. Use the official state calculator below for your estimate.
Official IA CalculatorNearest one-child rate peers
Closest published starting percentages to Iowa's 17% (MID band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how Iowa guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Data sources for Iowa
Guideline parameters from Iowa 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 Iowa.