Mississippi Child Support Calculator (2026)
Mississippi calculates child support under percentage-of-income guidelines (Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101). Estimate the guideline amount below.
Income basis: obligor's monthly adjusted gross income (gross income from all sources, minus federal/state/local taxes, Social Security contributions, and mandatory retirement/disability contributions, per § 43-19-101(3)).
Enter the income above to see the guideline estimate.
Simplified guideline estimate — before health-insurance, childcare, and parenting-time adjustments. For the exact figure use the official Mississippi calculator.
Your Case Details
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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
Mississippi child support is a percentage of the paying parent's obligor's monthly adjusted gross income (gross income from all sources, minus federal/state/local taxes, Social Security contributions, and mandatory retirement/disability contributions, per § 43-19-101(3)): 14% for one child, 20% for two, rising to 26% for 5 or more (Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101). Enter the paying parent's income above for the guideline figure.
How Mississippi Calculates Child Support
Mississippi applies a flat percentage to the paying parent's (obligor's) own adjusted gross income only — it does not combine both parents' incomes like an income-shares state. The percentages (14% for 1 child up to 26% for 5+) are set directly in the statute as a rebuttable presumption, not read off a schedule table. The current statutory text (percentages and the $10,000–$100,000 presumption band) is confirmed current as of January 1, 2025.
Statutory basis: Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101. Exact figure: official Mississippi calculator.
Mississippi Guideline Percentages
| Children | Share of obligor's monthly adjusted gross income (gross income from all sources, minus federal/state/local taxes, Social Security contributions, and mandatory retirement/disability contributions, per § 43-19-101(3)) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 14% |
| 2 | 20% |
| 3 | 22% |
| 4 | 24% |
| 5 | 26% |
Worked Example
Obligor's adjusted gross income (already net of taxes, Social Security, and mandatory retirement deductions) = $60,000/year → $5,000/month. For 2 children: 20% × $5,000 = $1,000/month child support award (Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101(1) and (3)(e)).
When Courts Deviate From the Guideline
- Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational, or dental expenses
- Independent income of the child
- Concurrent payment of both child support and spousal support (alimony) to the same obligee
- Seasonal variations in either parent's income or expenses
- The particular shared/split parenting-time arrangement between the parents (e.g., a noncustodial parent who spends significant time with the children, reducing the custodial parent's costs)
- Total available assets of the obligee, obligor, and the child
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cap on the income used to calculate Mississippi child support?
Not a hard cap. Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101(4) makes the guideline percentages a rebuttable presumption only when the obligor's adjusted gross income falls between $10,000 and $100,000 per year. Outside that band, the judge must make a written finding on the record about whether the percentage is reasonable and can order a different amount.
What counts as income under the Mississippi guidelines?
Nearly all sources: wages, self-employment and commission income, investment/dividend/interest income, workers' compensation, disability, unemployment, retirement/IRA distributions, alimony received, and inherited-property income (§ 43-19-101(3)(a)). From that gross figure the obligor subtracts taxes, Social Security contributions, and mandatory (not voluntary) retirement/disability contributions, plus credit for any existing court-ordered support for other children, to arrive at the 'adjusted gross income' the percentage is applied to (§ 43-19-101(3)(b)-(d)).
Does shared custody lower the percentage owed in Mississippi?
The statute has no built-in offset formula for parenting time. Instead, 'the particular shared parental arrangement' — for example a noncustodial parent who spends significant time with the children and thereby reduces the custodial parent's costs — is one of the deviation factors a judge may use to depart from the straight percentage under Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-103.
Until what age does child support run in Mississippi, and does it cover college?
Mississippi is an outlier: the duty of support generally runs until the child turns 21 (Miss. Code Ann. § 93-11-65 ties support to the age of 21 rather than 18), or ends earlier if the child is emancipated — by marriage, military service, or the statute's other emancipation grounds. Courts are not required to order college support, though parents can agree to it, and support obligations in place while the child attends college before 21 continue.