2026 Child Support by State

This hub ranks all 50 states and DC by modeled monthly guideline obligation on a fixed vignette: $5,000 / $3,000 monthly gross · 2 children · Parent A 70% custody · Parent B pays. Every dollar is calculated from our engine — the same engine as /child-support-calculator.

Rank #1 means the highest modeled monthly estimate on that vignette, using dense ranking (ties share a rank). It is not a claim that one state’s courts always order more support.

Income-shares states intentionally share a simplified schedule here, so many rows tie. Percentage-of-income states use distinct state math and drive most of the spread.

The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies child support guideline models. Most jurisdictions use income shares; a smaller set uses percentage of income (flat or varying). Melson Formula states are income-shares variants.

Income shares estimates what both parents would spend on the child if the household were intact, then splits that obligation by income share. Percentage-of-income applies a percent of the obligor’s income (sometimes with brackets or net-resource rules).

Our labels follow NCSL classifications and each state’s published guideline citation. See https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/child-support-guideline-models.

Building accurate per-state income-shares lookup tables for every combined-income cell is outside this educational ranking. Instead, income-shares states share one simplified schedule, so California and peers estimate ~$183/mo on the locked vignette.

That disclosure is intentional: we will not invent official table numbers. Rankings still isolate percentage-of-income differences (TX/WI, NV, ND, AK, MS).

For a real case, open /child-support-calculator/[state] and your state’s official worksheet or agency calculator.

Texas and Wisconsin estimate about $750/mo. Nevada is about $660; Mississippi about $600.

Against the income-shares cluster (~$183), the vignette gap reaches about $567/mo — useful for education, not a substitute for worksheets.

Texas approximates percentage of net resources; Wisconsin uses flat percentages of gross — accuracy notes on each profile explain engine limits.

Child support orders depend on verified income, parenting time, health insurance, childcare, and judicial discretion. This page is for SEO education and orientation.

HHS/OCSS oversees the federal-state child support program; states publish guidelines and calculators. Always prefer official tools linked in sources.

Lowest vignette cluster (Alabama and peers at ~$183) reflects the shared income-shares schedule — not “cheapest courts.”