Income shares
Used by most states and DC. Both incomes are combined, the state schedule sets what parents in one home would spend on the child, and each parent pays their percentage of it.
Updated for 2026 ยท all 50 states + DC
Child Support Calculator (2026)
Child support is a regular payment one parent makes to the other to help cover a child's daily costs after a separation or divorce. Every state sets a guideline formula based on both parents' income, the number of children and how many nights the child spends with each parent.
- Most states use the income shares method: both incomes are added, a basic amount is set, and each parent covers their share.
- Texas, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Alaska and Nevada take a set percentage of the paying parent's income instead.
- A parent earning $5,000 a month with one child pays about $850 a month in a typical income shares state.
- Support is not taxable for the parent who receives it and cannot be deducted by the parent who pays it.
- Payments usually end at 18 or high school graduation; a few states continue to 19 or 21.
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Income shares estimate
This is an estimate from the state's guideline method. Your state worksheet and the judge set the final amount.
How much is child support?
In most states a parent pays about 17% of their income for one child, 25% for two children and 29% for three, before adjusting for shared time, health insurance and childcare. Texas uses 20%, 25% and 30% of net resources. The table shows typical monthly amounts when the child lives mostly with the other parent.
| Paying parent earns | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 a month | $510 | $750 | $870 |
| $4,000 a month | $680 | $1,000 | $1,160 |
| $5,000 a month | $850 | $1,250 | $1,450 |
| $6,000 a month | $1,020 | $1,500 | $1,740 |
| $8,000 a month | $1,360 | $2,000 | $2,320 |
| $10,000 a month | $1,700 | $2,500 | $2,900 |
Is $200 a week good child support for 2 kids?
$200 a week is about $867 a month. With two children, most income shares states take about 25% of the paying parent's income, so $200 a week fits a parent earning about $3,467 a month, or $41,600 a year. A higher earner would usually owe more, and shared custody can lower it.
What does child support cover?
Child support covers a child's everyday living costs: housing, food, clothing, school supplies, transportation and normal activities. Health insurance, uninsured medical bills and work-related childcare are often added on top and split by income. The parent who receives support decides how to spend it and does not report receipts.
How is child support calculated?
Child support is calculated from both parents' income, the number of children and the parenting schedule. The state turns combined income into a basic support amount, splits it by each parent's share of income, then adjusts for shared nights, health insurance and childcare before a judge approves it.
- Add both parents' monthly income, gross or net depending on the state.
- Find the basic support amount for that income and the number of children in the state schedule.
- Split the basic amount by each parent's percentage of the combined income.
- Adjust for overnights when the paying parent has the child often.
- Add the child's health insurance, childcare and extraordinary costs.
- The judge approves the guideline amount or explains a different one.
The three methods states use
Percentage of income
Texas, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Alaska, Nevada and North Dakota take a set share of the paying parent's income, which rises with the number of children.
Melson formula
Delaware, Hawaii and Montana first protect a basic living amount for each parent, then set the child's primary support and add a share of any extra income.
Child support calculator by state
Each state publishes its own guideline, so the same incomes give different amounts across state lines. Pick your state to open the calculator with its method. The example column assumes the paying parent earns $5,000 a month, the other parent $2,500, one child, and the child lives mostly with the other parent.
| State | Method | Example, 1 child | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Alaska | Percentage of paying parent's income | $1,000 a month | Calculate |
| Arizona | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Arkansas | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| California | Income shares (K-factor formula) | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Colorado | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Connecticut | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Delaware | Melson formula | $850 a month | Calculate |
| District of Columbia | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Florida | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Georgia | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Hawaii | Melson formula | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Idaho | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Illinois | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Indiana | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Iowa | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Kansas | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Kentucky | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Louisiana | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Maine | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Maryland | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Massachusetts | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Michigan | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Minnesota | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Mississippi | Percentage of paying parent's income | $700 a month | Calculate |
| Missouri | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Montana | Melson formula | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Nebraska | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Nevada | Percentage of income in tiers | $800 a month | Calculate |
| New Hampshire | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| New Jersey | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| New Mexico | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| New York | Percent of combined income (CSSA) | $850 a month | Calculate |
| North Carolina | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| North Dakota | Percentage of the paying parent's income | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Ohio | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Oklahoma | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Oregon | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Pennsylvania | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Rhode Island | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| South Carolina | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| South Dakota | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Tennessee | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Texas | Percentage of paying parent's income | $800 a month | Calculate |
| Utah | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Vermont | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Virginia | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Washington | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| West Virginia | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Wisconsin | Percentage of paying parent's income | $850 a month | Calculate |
| Wyoming | Income shares | $850 a month | Calculate |
If I make $60,000 a year, how much child support do I pay?
On $60,000 a year, a parent with one child usually pays about $850 a month in an income shares state, and about $800 in Texas. On $2,000 a week, the estimate is about $1,473 a month for one child. The table repeats the math for other weekly and yearly incomes, with the other parent earning $2,500 a month.
| If I make | 1 child | 2 children | 1 child in Texas | 2 children in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 a week | $368 | $542 | $347 | $433 |
| $1,000 a week | $737 | $1,083 | $693 | $867 |
| $1,500 a week | $1,105 | $1,625 | $1,040 | $1,300 |
| $2,000 a week | $1,473 | $2,167 | $1,387 | $1,733 |
| $50,000 a year | $708 | $1,042 | $667 | $833 |
| $60,000 a year | $850 | $1,250 | $800 | $1,000 |
| $80,000 a year | $1,133 | $1,667 | $1,067 | $1,333 |
| $100,000 a year | $1,417 | $2,083 | $1,333 | $1,667 |
Monthly amounts. Texas figures use 80% of gross pay as an estimate of net resources.
Does 50/50 custody mean no child support?
Not always. With equal time, the parent with the higher income often still pays, because each parent's share of support is weighed against the other parent's time. When incomes are close and the schedule is truly equal, the payment can drop to little or nothing.
For taxes, the parent with more overnights claims the child. When the nights are exactly equal, the IRS gives the claim to the parent with the higher adjusted gross income, unless the parents agree otherwise with Form 8332.
| Paying parent's time | Nights a year | Monthly support |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | 37 | $1,500 |
| 20% | 73 | $1,500 |
| 30% | 110 | $1,289 |
| 40% | 146 | $975 |
| 50% | 183 | $652 |
How far behind in child support before a warrant is issued?
There is no single dollar amount. A judge can issue a warrant when a parent misses a contempt hearing or is found to have willfully stopped paying, which in many states can follow a few missed months. Federal law also makes willful nonpayment for a child in another state a crime once the debt passes $5,000 or one year.
| What happens | When |
|---|---|
| Wages are withheld by the employer | Usually from the first order, up to 50% to 65% of take-home pay |
| Federal and state tax refunds are taken | Once past-due support reaches the program limit |
| US passport is denied | Past-due support over $2,500 |
| Driver's and work licenses suspended | After a set number of missed months, by state |
| Reported to credit bureaus | When the agency reports arrears |
| Contempt of court, possible jail | When nonpayment is willful |
Is child support taxable?
No. Child support is not taxable income for the parent who receives it, and the parent who pays it cannot deduct it on a federal return. The parent the child lives with for most nights claims the child by default; the other parent can claim the child only when the custodial parent signs IRS Form 8332.
Receiving parent
- Does not report child support as income
- Claims the child by default
- May qualify for head of household status
Paying parent
- Cannot deduct child support
- Can claim the child with a signed Form 8332
- Tax refunds can be taken for past-due support
Alimony is different
- Divorces final after 2018: not deductible, not taxable
- Older divorces may follow the old rules
- Child support is never deductible
When does child support end?
Child support usually ends when the child turns 18, or when the child finishes high school if that comes later, often with a cap at 19. New York, Mississippi and Washington DC continue to 21, and Indiana to 19. A court can extend support for a child with a disability, and past-due support stays owed after the order ends.
Most states
18, or high school graduation if later, usually no later than 19.
Later end ages
New York, Mississippi and DC at 21; Indiana at 19.
Exceptions
Disability, college orders in some states, or a written agreement can change the end date.
Common child support problems and quick fixes
Most child support stress comes from hidden income, job loss, late payments and shared custody math. Each card gives the next step that usually works, so you can protect the child's support and avoid debts or court surprises.
The other parent hides income
Ask the court for a financial affidavit, recent tax returns and pay stubs. If a parent works below their ability on purpose, judges can count the income they could earn, called imputed income.
I lost my job or my pay dropped
File a request to change the order right away. Most states only lower support from the date you file, so waiting months can leave a debt that cannot be erased later.
Payments are late or missing
Open a case with your state child support agency. It can set up wage withholding, take tax refunds and suspend licenses, at no or low cost to you.
We share custody about 50/50
Enter the real number of nights in the calculator above. Shared time lowers the amount, but the parent with the higher income often still pays something.
I pay the child's health insurance
The premium for the child is split between both parents by income, so the parent paying it gets credit for the other parent's part.
We were never married
Parents who never married have the same duty to support the child. If paternity is not legal yet, sign a voluntary acknowledgment or ask the agency or court for a DNA test first.
The other parent is self-employed
Courts use tax returns and business records, and can add back personal costs run through the business, such as a car or phone, to find the income available for support.
My ex remarried
A new spouse's income usually does not count as the parent's income. A few states consider it when deciding whether to go above or below the guideline amount.
The amount feels too high
Ask for a review. Many states review orders every three years, or sooner after a big change in income, custody or the child's needs.
Child support questions
Is child support based on gross or net income?
It depends on the state. Texas and Florida start from net income after taxes, while Georgia and Wisconsin start from gross income before taxes. The worksheet then subtracts items such as health insurance premiums or support already paid for other children.
Can child support be taken from SSI or disability?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cannot be garnished for child support. Social Security disability (SSDI) and retirement benefits can be, and many states count SSDI as income in the formula. A child may also receive a dependent benefit on the disabled parent's record.
Can parents agree on their own child support amount?
Yes, parents can agree on an amount, but a judge usually has to approve it before it can be enforced. Most courts accept an agreement close to the state guideline and ask for a written reason when the agreed figure is much lower.
Does unpaid child support hurt your credit score?
It can. State agencies may report past-due support to the credit bureaus, and a judgment for arrears can show up in background checks. Paying the balance down, or keeping to an agreed repayment plan, stops new late marks from being added.
Can grandparents get child support?
Yes. A grandparent or other relative who has legal custody, or who cares for the child full time, can ask the state child support agency or the court to order support from one or both parents.
Is child support paid weekly or monthly?
Orders are usually written as a monthly amount, but payments often follow the paying parent's payday. When support is taken from wages, the employer withholds it each pay period, weekly or every two weeks, and the state passes it on to the other parent.
Does child support count as income for SNAP or Medicaid?
For SNAP food benefits, child support you receive counts as income, and court-ordered support you pay can be deducted. For Medicaid based on modified adjusted gross income, child support received is not counted as income.
Can you pay all of your child support at once?
Some courts allow a lump sum or a trust in place of monthly payments, usually when both parents agree and the judge finds it protects the child. It is uncommon, and the judge can still order more later if the child's needs change.
What is the biggest factor in calculating child support?
Income is the biggest factor. The combined income of both parents sets the basic amount, and each parent's share of that income decides who pays. Overnights, the number of children and health insurance come next.
Can you stop visits if child support is not paid?
No. Support and parenting time are separate court orders. Keeping a child from scheduled visits can put that parent in contempt, while unpaid support is collected through the state agency or the court.
Can back child support be forgiven?
Past-due support owed to the other parent can usually only be waived by that parent, often with a judge's approval, and most states cannot cancel past-due amounts. Some states reduce debt owed to the state when the paying parent stays current for a set time.
How long does it take to get a child support order?
A simple case with both parents cooperating can take a few weeks. When paternity must be established or a parent cannot be found, it often takes three to six months. Support usually starts from the date the case was filed, not the date of the order.