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Iowa child support under the 2026 guidelines

Iowa rewrote its child support guidelines for 2026: a new schedule, a child care add-on that replaces the old variance, and no more college subsidies for new orders. This guide walks through the math on net income, with a two-child example from the new schedule.

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At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined adjusted net monthly income (Iowa Court Rules chapter 9)
Current scheduleEffective January 1, 2026; $50 bands up to $30,000 combined net a month
Parenting timeVisitation credit of 15%, 20% or 25% from 128 overnights; a separate formula for joint (equally shared) physical care
Minimum support$50 for one child, $75 for two, $100 for three or more
Support endsAge 18, or up to 19 while finishing high school full time; no postsecondary subsidy for orders entered or pending on or after July 1, 2025
ModificationSubstantial change when the order differs by 10% or more from the current guidelines
AgencyChild Support Services (CSS), Iowa Department of Health and Human Services

How Iowa calculates child support

Iowa works from net income, not gross. Each parent's gross income is reduced by federal and state income tax figured under the guidelines' own method, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory union dues, prior support actually paid, and other deductions listed in rule 9.5. The two adjusted net incomes are added together.

That combined figure is found in the Schedule of Basic Support Obligations in rule 9.26, which the Iowa Supreme Court replaced effective January 1, 2026. Each parent's share is the schedule amount times that parent's percentage of combined income. Above $30,000 a month the court uses its discretion, but support cannot be less than the $30,000 amount.

Parties filing their own case use Form 1 in rule 9.27; Child Support Services uses Form 2. Any table data or calculator built on the 2022 schedule is now out of date.

Worked example: Iowa

  1. Parent A has $6,000 a month in adjusted net income and Parent B has $4,000, so combined net income is $10,000.
  2. In the 2026 schedule, the $9,951 to $10,000 band shows $2,465 a month for two children.
  3. Parent A's share is 60%, or $1,479 a month; Parent B's share is $986.
  4. If Parent B has physical care and Parent A has ordinary visitation, Parent A pays $1,479 a month ($17,748 a year), before the health insurance and child care adjustments.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

Visitation credits and joint physical care in Iowa

Iowa uses two different tools. When the parent without physical care has court-ordered visitation of more than 127 overnights a year, rule 9.9 takes a credit off that parent's share of the basic obligation: 15% for 128 to 147 overnights, 20% for 148 to 166, and 25% for 167 or more short of equally shared care. The credit cannot bring support below $50 for one child, $75 for two, or $100 for three or more. In the example, 146 overnights earns the 15% credit, so Parent A pays about $1,257 instead of $1,479.

Joint (equally shared) physical care uses rule 9.14(3) instead: each parent's share is multiplied by 1.5 for the cost of two homes and then by one half, and the parent with the higher amount pays the difference. With the example's incomes that is about $370 a month. The low-income adjustment does not apply in joint physical care.

Health insurance and uncovered medical costs

The children's portion of the health insurance premium is split between the parents and adjusts the basic obligation. For most incomes, coverage is reasonable in cost up to 5% of the gross income of the parent who provides it; if neither parent has reasonable coverage, the court orders cash medical support from the same table. For uncovered medical costs, the parent with physical care pays the first $250 per child per calendar year, up to $800 for all children, and costs above that are split by net income. In joint physical care all uncovered costs are split by net income.

The new child care add-on

Since 2026, rule 9.11A adds child care to support instead of treating it as a reason to vary. The cost is reduced by an estimated 25% tax credit (no credit is assumed at lower incomes), and the paying parent owes the lesser of a proportional share or a cap tied to disposable income. The add-on is presumed to end at the child's 13th birthday and does not apply in joint physical care or in the low-income area of the schedule.

Low income and other children

The schedule's shaded low-income area changed in 2026. In Area A, up to $1,250 of the paying parent's net income, support is based only on that parent's income; in Area B it is the lower of the obligor-only and combined-income results. The smallest amounts in the schedule are $50 for one child, $75 for two and $100 for three or more, and support is $0 when the paying parent's only income is SSI.

Support paid under another order is deducted from income. For other children in the home without an order, a qualified additional dependent deduction takes a percentage of gross income: 8% for one child, 12% for two, 14% for three, 15% for four and 16% for five or more, each with a cap. That deduction cannot be used to reach the threshold for lowering an existing order.

When support ends and how to change it

Support covers a child under 18, and a child between 18 and 19 who is engaged full time in finishing high school or an equivalency program and expected to finish before 19. Support for a child with a disability can continue at any age. Iowa abolished the postsecondary education subsidy: courts cannot order one in cases entered or pending on or after July 1, 2025.

Under Iowa Code 598.21C, a substantial change of circumstances exists when the current order differs by 10% or more from what the current guidelines would produce. The new 2026 schedule can therefore be a reason to recalculate older orders.

Collection and enforcement

Child Support Services (CSS), part of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, establishes and enforces orders and runs the CSS Estimator. Check that any estimator result reflects the 2026 schedule before relying on it.

Documents you will need

Iowa child support FAQ

Is there an Iowa child support calculator for 2026?

Iowa HHS runs the CSS Estimator, and the courts publish the chapter 9 worksheets. Because the schedule changed on January 1, 2026, confirm that any tool you use reflects the new schedule.

How is child support calculated in Iowa?

Each parent's net income is figured under the guidelines, the two are combined, the 2026 schedule gives a basic obligation, and each parent owes a share in proportion to income. Visitation credits, insurance, uncovered medical rules and the child care add-on adjust the result.

How much is child support for 2 kids in Iowa?

At $10,000 of combined net monthly income, the 2026 schedule shows $2,465 for two children. A parent with 60% of that income pays about $1,479 a month, or about $1,257 with 128 to 147 overnights of visitation.

Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Iowa?

No. With joint (equally shared) physical care, each parent's share is multiplied by 1.5 and halved, and the higher amount is offset against the lower. Unless incomes match, the higher earner still pays; about $370 a month in our 60/40 example.

Does Iowa still order college support?

No. Iowa Code 598.21F now says courts shall not order a postsecondary education subsidy, for orders entered or pending on or after July 1, 2025.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

All states

This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Iowa.