1 Child
~17%
1.0pp below average
Data updated September 2026
2021 guideline data Income Shares model OCSE FY2023 source
Kentucky Child Support Guidelines
Kentucky publishes a 17% one-child starting rate under Income Shares - lower-third among 51 recorded schedules. 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
- #17
- enforcement caseload rank
- 88.9%
- cases with order
$786/mo
One-child base rate at Kentucky's median income
17% of $55,454, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Kentucky, divided across twelve months, 17% 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
Kentucky 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
- 88.9% caseload with support order (OCSE P-64) #20 nationally
- 233,158 Title IV-D caseload (OCSE P-52) #17 by volume
- $1,352 distributed collections per case (our calc)
- Connecticut nearest rate peer (Δ 0.0 pts)
- 2021 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 Kentucky's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point band. Kentucky's lower-third 17% mark is highlighted. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Kentucky'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. Kentucky 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
~31%
At the national average
4 Children
~34%
1.2pp below average
Income Cap
None
uncapped
Lower one-child starting rate
Kentucky in the lower-rate third
Kentucky's published 17% one-child base sits in the lower third (#33 of 51).
Kentucky publishes a 17% one-child starting rate under Income Shares - lower-third among 51 recorded schedules. 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 - material on a large caseload. Nearest one-child rate peer: Connecticut at 17% (Δ 0.0 pts). Kentucky 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 Kentucky to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, Kentucky ranks #20 of 51 on order-establishment share and #17 by caseload volume (~$1,352 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
How Kentucky Calculates Child Support
Kentucky 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. Joint custody deviation available.
Kentucky guideline parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | Uncapped |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $55,454/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 17% (rank #33 of 51) |
Not legal advice for Kentucky: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current Kentucky schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in Kentucky.
Kentucky Child Support Enforcement
233,158
Active Cases
$315.2M
Annual Collections
88.9%
Cases with Orders
$1,352
Collected per case (our calculation)
Kentucky vs national average (51 reporting states)
Cases with orders 88.9%
national
88.9% of Kentucky'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
27/100
Kentucky
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 C+
88.9%
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 F
$1,352/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
2.44% 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 Kentucky
The Kentucky interactive calculator is being finalized. Use the official state calculator below for your estimate.
Official KY CalculatorNearest one-child rate peers
Closest published starting percentages to Kentucky's 17% (MID band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how Kentucky guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Data sources for Kentucky
Guideline parameters from Kentucky 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 Kentucky.