Minnesota Child Support Calculator (2026)
Minnesota calculates child support under income-shares guidelines (Minn. Stat. § 518A.35). Estimate the guideline amount below.
Income basis: combined monthly Parental Income for Determining Child Support (PICS).
Enter the income above to see the guideline estimate.
Simplified guideline estimate, interpolated from the official schedule — before health-insurance, childcare, and parenting-time adjustments. For the exact figure use the official Minnesota calculator.
Your Case Details
Answer a few questions to see your estimated range.
Approximate gap between higher-earner and lower-earner.
Estimated Monthly Support
$840 — $1,560
State formulas vary significantly. This estimate uses national averages — your state's guidelines may produce a different number.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
Minnesota uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes are combined, the official schedule sets a basic support obligation, and each parent owes their proportional share (Minn. Stat. § 518A.35). The calculator above interpolates the official schedule for a quick estimate — health-insurance, child-care, and parenting-time adjustments come on top.
How Minnesota Calculates Child Support
Minnesota uses the Income Shares model under Minn. Stat. § 518A.35, combining both parents' gross monthly income into "Parental Income for Determining Child Support" (PICS) — gross income minus deductions for court-ordered support of nonjoint children under § 518A.33 — then applying the statutory Basic Support Obligation Table for the number of joint children. Minnesota adopted income shares in 2007; the guideline table was last amended by 2024 c 80 art 8 s 68, and the parenting-time adjustment was refined in 2024 (HF 3204) to a more continuous, overnight-by-overnight calculation. The official MN DHS Child Support Guidelines Calculator implements the guideline and worksheet.
Statutory basis: Minn. Stat. § 518A.35. Exact figure: official Minnesota calculator.
Official Schedule — Excerpt
Basic support obligation at selected combined incomes (combined monthly Parental Income for Determining Child Support (PICS)), from the official Minnesota schedule:
| Combined income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,300 | $485 | $630 | $712 |
| $5,000 | $818 | $1,132 | $1,281 |
| $7,500 | $1,075 | $1,505 | $1,716 |
| $10,000 | $1,230 | $1,722 | $1,963 |
Worked Example
Two parents, two joint children, no nonjoint-child deductions. Parent A earns $4,500/month gross, Parent B earns $3,000/month gross — combined PICS = $7,500/month, in the $7,500–$7,599 bracket. The Basic Support Obligation Table (Minn. Stat. § 518A.35 subd. 2) sets basic support for 2 children at $1,505/month. Parent A's income share is 60% ($4,500/$7,500), so Parent A owes 60% × $1,505 = $903/month; Parent B owes 40% × $1,505 = $602/month. If Parent B has physical custody, Parent A (the non-custodial parent) pays $903/month in basic support, before adding the medical support and child care support components and any parenting-time adjustment for overnights with Parent A.
When Courts Deviate From the Guideline
- All earnings, income, circumstances, and resources of each parent, including real and personal property (excluding means-tested public assistance)
- The extraordinary financial needs and resources, physical and emotional condition, and educational needs of the child
- The standard of living the child would enjoy if the parents were currently living together, recognizing the parents now have separate households
- Whether the child resides in a foreign country for more than one year with a substantially higher or lower cost of living than Minnesota
- Which parent receives the income taxation dependency exemption and the financial benefit received from it
- The parents' debts, as provided in Minn. Stat. § 518A.43 subd. 2
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cap on how much combined income Minnesota's child support guidelines cover?
Yes. Minn. Stat. § 518A.35 caps the guideline table at $20,000/month combined parental income. Above that, the presumed basic obligation stays at the $20,000-level amounts ($1,839 for 1 child up to $3,492 for 6+ children) unless a court finds the child has a disability or substantial demonstrated need justifying an above-guideline order under § 518A.43.
What counts as income under Minnesota's guidelines?
Minn. Stat. § 518A.29 defines 'gross income' broadly — wages, salaries, commissions, self-employment earnings, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, pensions, Social Security, and spousal maintenance received. 'PICS' is that gross income minus deductions for court-ordered support of nonjoint children under § 518A.33. Means-tested public assistance (e.g., MFIP, SSI) is excluded.
How does parenting time/shared custody affect Minnesota child support?
Minnesota applies a parenting expense adjustment under Minn. Stat. § 518A.36 that reduces the obligor's basic support based on the share of overnights the child spends with that parent. Since a 2024 update (HF 3204), the DHS calculator applies a more continuous, overnight-by-overnight adjustment rather than fixed parenting-time bands, so every overnight with the paying parent lowers the obligation.
Until what age does child support last in Minnesota, and does it cover college?
Support generally continues until the child turns 18, or through age 20 if the child is still attending secondary school (Minn. Stat. § 518A.26, subd. 5). Minnesota's guidelines do not require support for college or post-secondary education — parents may agree to it separately, but courts cannot order it as part of standard guideline child support.