Calculation is client-side, income figures are never transmitted or stored.
How Mississippi Child Support Is Calculated
- Mississippi is a flat-percentage-of-income state: the child support award is a percentage of the noncustodial parent's own adjusted gross income only -- the custodial parent's income is not part of the base calculation.
- "Adjusted gross income" starts from gross income from all sources and subtracts federal/state/local taxes, Social Security contributions, mandatory retirement/disability contributions, court-ordered support already owed for other children, and (at the court's discretion) an amount for other children living in the noncustodial parent's home.
- Divide the annual adjusted gross income by 12 to get the monthly amount, then multiply by the percentage for the number of children: 14% for one child, 20% for two, 22% for three, 24% for four, 26% for five or more.
- When adjusted gross income is above $100,000/year or below $10,000/year, the court must make a written finding on whether the percentage is reasonable in that case -- the percentage itself does not automatically change.
- This calculator shows the presumptive guideline amount only; Mississippi courts may deviate for extraordinary expenses, shared parenting arrangements, seasonal income, and other statutory factors.
Mississippi Child Support Worksheet Walkthrough
Example: the noncustodial parent has an adjusted gross income of $4,000/month, and there are two children.
- Percentage for two children: 20%.
- Child support award: $4,000 x 20% = $800/month.
How This Calculator Works — Formula & Constants
Source: Mississippi Department of Human Services — Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 · Calcul déterministe — no AI, no arbitrary estimate.
Constants used
| Constant | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | 14% | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
| 2 children | 20% | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
| 3 children | 22% | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
| 4 children | 24% | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
| 5 children | 26% | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
| 6+ children | 26% | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
| Net income cap | $10,000,000/mo | Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 |
Formula
pct = (obligor_net_income < 0) ? low_income_percentages[children] : percentages[children]
monthly_support = net_resources × pct
Deterministic calculation based on Mississippi's official guideline schedule. Verify against Mississippi's official calculator for a court-ready figure.
FAQ
How is child support calculated in Mississippi?
Mississippi is a flat-percentage-of-income state: the child support award is a percentage of the noncustodial parent's own adjusted gross income only -- the custodial parent's income is not part of the base calculation. "Adjusted gross income" starts from gross income from all sources and subtracts federal/state/local taxes, Social Security contributions, mandatory retirement/disability contributions, court-ordered support already owed for other children, and (at the court's discretion) an amount for other children living in the noncustodial parent's home. Divide the annual adjusted gross income by 12 to get the monthly amount, then multiply by the percentage for the number of children: 14% for one child, 20% for two, 22% for three, 24% for four, 26% for five or more. When adjusted gross income is above $100,000/year or below $10,000/year, the court must make a written finding on whether the percentage is reasonable in that case -- the percentage itself does not automatically change. This calculator shows the presumptive guideline amount only; Mississippi courts may deviate for extraordinary expenses, shared parenting arrangements, seasonal income, and other statutory factors.
Does Mississippi use combined parental income like most states?
No. Mississippi Code § 43-19-101 calculates the award as a flat percentage of the NONCUSTODIAL parent's own adjusted gross income only -- the custodial parent's income does not factor into the calculation, unlike income-shares states such as Alabama or Georgia.
What is Mississippi's $100,000 and $10,000 income review?
When the noncustodial parent's adjusted gross income is above $100,000/year or below $10,000/year, the judge must make a written finding on the record as to whether applying the standard percentage is reasonable in that case. This is a required review, not an automatic cap -- the guideline percentage can still apply at any income level.
What counts toward a parent's "adjusted gross income" in Mississippi?
Gross income from virtually all sources (wages, self-employment, investments, benefits, etc.), minus taxes, Social Security, mandatory retirement contributions, and support already ordered for other children (Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101(3)).
Methodology & Source
Formula model: percentage of income. Effective 1994-01-01, guideline version 2020-MS-v1, last reviewed 2026-07-13.
Official source: Mississippi Department of Human Services — Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 (Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101).
Miss. Code Ann. section 43-19-101(4): when the noncustodial parent's adjusted gross income is more than $100,000/yr or less than $10,000/yr, the court must make a written finding on whether applying these percentages is reasonable -- this is a required REVIEW, not an automatic cap or reduction, so this calculator applies the same percentage at any income level and does not model that written-finding requirement. This calculator does not model Mississippi's discretionary deviation criteria (Section 43-19-103: extraordinary expenses, shared parenting arrangements, seasonal income, etc.) or the adjustments available for court-ordered support of other children or other children living in the noncustodial parent's home (Section 43-19-101(3)(c)-(d)).
Guideline figures transcribed from the primary source above and cross-checked against Mississippi's official calculator/worksheet for multiple test scenarios — see our verification methodology.