Texas Child Support Percentages (2026)
Texas uses a simple percentage schedule for guideline child support. The percentage is applied to the paying parent's monthly net resources (up to a $11,700 cap).
The standard guideline percentages
| Children before the court | % of monthly net resources |
|---|---|
| 1 child | 20% |
| 2 children | 25% |
| 3 children | 30% |
| 4 children | 35% |
| 5 children | 40% |
| 6+ children | not less than the amount for 5 children |
Estimate your number on the calculator →
The low-income schedule
If the paying parent's monthly net resources are below $1,000, Texas applies a reduced schedule so support stays affordable:
| Children | Low-income % |
|---|---|
| 1 | 15% |
| 2 | 20% |
| 3 | 25% |
| 4 | 30% |
| 5 | 35% |
Multiple-family adjustment
If the paying parent has children in more than one household, the percentage for the children in the current case is lowered to account for the parent's duty to the other children.
There are two ways to get there, and the Family Code treats them differently:
- **§ 154.128 — the computation the court shall make.** Work out what support would be if every child the parent owes a duty to lived in one household, divide that by the total number of children, multiply by the number of children not before the court, subtract that credit from net resources, then apply the ordinary percentage to what's left.
- **§ 154.129 — the table the court may use instead.** The statute prints a lookup table that is simply the rounded result of the § 154.128 math, so the two land on the same number.
Here is the § 154.129(a) table — the columns are children in this case, the rows are the parent's other children:
| Other children | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 20.00% | 25.00% | 30.00% | 35.00% | 40.00% |
| 1 | 17.50% | 22.50% | 27.38% | 32.20% | 37.33% |
| 2 | 16.00% | 20.63% | 25.20% | 30.33% | 35.43% |
| 3 | 14.75% | 19.00% | 24.00% | 29.00% | 34.00% |
| 4 | 13.60% | 18.33% | 23.14% | 28.00% | 32.89% |
| 5 | 13.33% | 17.86% | 22.50% | 27.22% | 32.00% |
| 6 | 13.14% | 17.50% | 22.00% | 26.60% | 31.27% |
| 7 | 13.00% | 17.22% | 21.60% | 26.09% | 30.67% |
The low-income multiple-family table (the one most calculators miss)
If the paying parent has other children and monthly net resources under $1,000, neither of the tables above applies. A 2021 amendment (S.B. 286) added a fourth schedule at § 154.129(b) — a low-income version of the multiple-family table:
| Other children | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 15.00% | 20.00% | 25.00% | 30.00% | 35.00% |
| 1 | 13.50% | 18.33% | 23.13% | 27.90% | 32.96% |
| 2 | 12.50% | 17.00% | 21.50% | 26.50% | 31.50% |
| 3 | 11.63% | 15.80% | 20.63% | 25.50% | 30.41% |
| 4 | 10.80% | 15.33% | 20.00% | 24.75% | 29.56% |
| 5 | 10.63% | 15.00% | 19.53% | 24.17% | 28.88% |
| 6 | 10.50% | 14.75% | 19.17% | 23.70% | 28.32% |
| 7 | 10.41% | 14.56% | 18.88% | 23.32% | 27.85% |
The difference is not academic. A parent with $800 a month in net resources, one child in this case and one child elsewhere owes 13.50% — $108 a month. Run the same facts through the ordinary multiple-family table and you get 17.50%, or $140. That is a 30% overstatement against the parents least able to absorb it.
This calculator applies all four schedules automatically.
"Children before the court" vs. total children
The percentage is driven by the number of children in the current case ("before the court"), with the multiple-family table accounting for other children. A parent with three children total but only one in this case generally starts at the one-child percentage, then the table adjusts for the other two.
Frequently asked questions
Are the percentages based on gross or net income? Net. They apply to net resources — see how child support is calculated.
Do the percentages ever change? The percentages themselves are set by statute and rarely change. The cap they apply to is adjusted for inflation every six years — it rose to $11,700 on September 1, 2025.
These percentages produce a guideline estimate, not legal advice. A court can order a different amount. For an exact figure and case review, contact Nemec Law Office, serving Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties.
Related: How child support is calculated · The $11,700 cap · Calculator