1 Child
~22%
4.0pp above average
Data updated September 2026
Maryland publishes a 22% 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.
$1,654/mo
One-child base rate at Maryland's median income
22% of $90,203, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Maryland, divided across twelve months, 74% 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
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.
Published starting percentages among the nearest rate peers (snapshot September 2026).
National context
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point band. Maryland's higher-third 22% mark is highlighted. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Maryland's 22% published one-child base rate is higher than 49 of 51 recorded state rates. The comparison describes guideline starting percentages, not a complete child-support estimate. Maryland sits in a higher-rate band on this histogram.
Source: State guideline records, 51 jurisdictions with published one-child base rates
1 Child
~22%
4.0pp above average
2 Children
~31%
5.3pp above average
3 Children
~38%
6.7pp above average
4 Children
~43%
7.8pp above average
Income Cap
$15,000
per month
Higher one-child starting rate
Maryland's published 22% one-child base sits in the higher third (#2 of 51).
Maryland publishes a 22% 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. Countable income caps at $15,000/mo - above that line the elevated schedule stops and discretion takes over. Nearest one-child rate peer: Florida at 21% (Δ 1.0 pts). Maryland 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 Maryland to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, Maryland ranks #25 of 51 on order-establishment share and #24 by caseload volume (~$2,587 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
Maryland 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 one of the higher starting points nationally. That higher-third starting rate is the schedule's open before deviations.
Income Shares model with schedule. Higher percentages reflect cost of living. Cap at combined $15,000/mo.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | $15,000/mo combined |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $90,203/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 22% (rank #2 of 51) |
Not legal advice for Maryland: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current Maryland schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in Maryland.
86.6% of Maryland'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)
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.
The Maryland interactive calculator is being finalized. Use the official state calculator below for your estimate.
Official MD CalculatorClosest published starting percentages to Maryland's 22% (HIGH band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how Maryland guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Guideline parameters from Maryland 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 Maryland.