1 Child
~18%
At the national average
Data updated September 2026
2022 guideline data Income Shares model OCSE FY2023 source
Pennsylvania Child Support Guidelines
Pennsylvania posts 91.5% of its Title IV-D caseload with an established order - denser than two-thirds of reporting jurisdictions on OCSE P-64. 43 jurisdictions share the Income Shares model with Pennsylvania.
- 18%
- 1-child base rate
- #18 of 51
- base-rate rank
- #13
- enforcement caseload rank
- 91.5%
- cases with order
$1,034/mo
One-child base rate at Pennsylvania's median income
18% of $68,957, the Census ACS 2022 median household income for Pennsylvania, divided across twelve months, 9% 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
Pennsylvania 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.
- 18% published one-child starting rate #18 of 51
- Income 43 jurisdictions share this model
- 91.5% caseload with support order (OCSE P-64) #11 nationally
- 281,070 Title IV-D caseload (OCSE P-52) #13 by volume
- $3,890 distributed collections per case (our calc)
- Alabama 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 Pennsylvania's one-child starting rate sits
Each bar counts states with a published one-child base rate in that 3-point guideline band. Pennsylvania is marked in its own band. Counts are exact from the 51-jurisdiction dataset.
Pennsylvania's 18% published one-child base rate is higher than 19 of 51 recorded state rates. The comparison describes guideline starting percentages, not a complete child-support estimate.
Source: State guideline records, 51 jurisdictions with published one-child base rates
2 Children
~26%
At the national average
3 Children
~32%
0.7pp above average
4 Children
~36%
0.8pp above average
Income Cap
$30,000
per month
Dense order-establishment share
Pennsylvania in the denser-order third
Pennsylvania sits in the top third on OCSE P-64 order share (91.5% · #11 of 51).
Pennsylvania posts 91.5% of its Title IV-D caseload with an established order - denser than two-thirds of reporting jurisdictions on OCSE P-64. 43 jurisdictions share the Income Shares model with Pennsylvania. Countable income caps at $30,000/mo; earnings above that threshold fall to judicial discretion. Nearest one-child rate peer: Alabama at 18% (Δ 0.0 pts). Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania to other guideline models →
On OCSE FY2023 tables, Pennsylvania ranks #11 of 51 on order-establishment share and #13 by caseload volume (~$3,890 distributed per case, our calc on P-4/P-52). Source: HHS Office of Child Support Services, FY 2023 Preliminary Report.
How Pennsylvania Calculates Child Support
Pennsylvania 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. Pair the schedule math with Pennsylvania's denser-than-most order-establishment share when reading enforcement.
Income Shares model. Combined net income schedule up to $30,000/mo. Shared custody (40%+ overnights) triggers shared-custody calculation.
Pennsylvania guideline parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Formula Model | Income Shares |
| Income Floor | None |
| Income Ceiling | $30,000/mo combined |
| Parenting Time Adjustment | Available |
| Median Household Income | $68,957/yr |
| Single-Child Base | 18% (rank #18 of 51) |
Not legal advice for Pennsylvania: figures here are published-guideline estimates only. Actual orders can differ under judicial discretion, deviation factors, and the current Pennsylvania schedule. Consult a family law attorney licensed in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement
281,070
Active Cases
$1,093.4M
Annual Collections
91.5%
Cases with Orders
$3,890
Collected per case (our calculation)
Pennsylvania vs national average (51 reporting states)
Cases with orders 91.5%
national
91.5% of Pennsylvania'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)
A+
State Support Program Score
92/100
Pennsylvania
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 B+
91.5%
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 A+
$3,890/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 A+
5.64% 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 Pennsylvania Child Support
Our interactive calculator uses Pennsylvania's formula with your specific income and parenting time inputs.
Open Pennsylvania CalculatorNearest one-child rate peers
Closest published starting percentages to Pennsylvania's 18% (MID band) - model stamps INC/PCT/MEL, not an A-Z clone list.
Read our methodology - how Pennsylvania guideline and OCSE figures on this page are sourced.
Data sources for Pennsylvania
Guideline parameters from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.