1 Child
~17%
1.0pp below average
Data updated September 2026
2023 guideline data Income Shares model OCSE FY2023 source
North Carolina Child Support Guidelines
North Carolina carries 348,386 Title IV-D cases - a heavy-third book on OCSE P-52 volume. 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
- #7
- enforcement caseload rank
- 85.2%
- cases with order
$857/mo
One-child base rate at North Carolina's median income
17% of $60,516, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for North Carolina, divided across twelve months, 10% 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
North Carolina 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
- 85.2% caseload with support order (OCSE P-64) #32 nationally
- 348,386 Title IV-D caseload (OCSE P-52) #7 by volume
- $1,761 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 North Carolina's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point band. North Carolina's lower-third 17% mark is highlighted. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
North Carolina'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. North Carolina sits in a lower-rate band on this histogram.
Source: State guideline records, 51 jurisdictions with published one-child base rates
2 Children
~24%
1.7pp below average
3 Children
~29%
2.3pp below average
4 Children
~33%
2.2pp below average
Income Cap
None
uncapped
Large Title IV-D caseload
North Carolina in the heavy-caseload third
348,386 active cases put North Carolina in the heaviest third by OCSE P-52 volume (#7).
North Carolina carries 348,386 Title IV-D cases - a heavy-third book on OCSE P-52 volume. 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). North Carolina 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 North Carolina to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, North Carolina ranks #32 of 51 on order-establishment share and #7 by caseload volume (~$1,761 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
How North Carolina Calculates Child Support
North Carolina 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. Three worksheets: sole, joint, split. Shared custody (146+ nights) uses Worksheet B.
North Carolina guideline parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | Uncapped |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $60,516/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 17% (rank #33 of 51) |
Not legal advice for North Carolina: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current North Carolina schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in North Carolina.
North Carolina Child Support Enforcement
348,386
Active Cases
$613.5M
Annual Collections
85.2%
Cases with Orders
$1,761
Collected per case (our calculation)
North Carolina vs national average (51 reporting states)
Cases with orders 85.2%
national
85.2% of North Carolina'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
41/100
North Carolina
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
85.2%
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
$1,761/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
2.91% 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 A+
Available
Whether the state publishes an official online support calculator
Calculate North Carolina Child Support
Our interactive calculator uses North Carolina's formula with your specific income and parenting time inputs.
Open North Carolina CalculatorNearest one-child rate peers
Closest published starting percentages to North Carolina's 17% (MID band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how North Carolina guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Data sources for North Carolina
Guideline parameters from North Carolina 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 North Carolina.