Florida vs Texas child support: which state is higher? (2026)
It depends on the other parent's income and on time. Both states start from income after tax, but Texas takes a percentage of the paying parent's net resources only, while Florida adds both parents' net incomes, reads its schedule and splits it by income. For two children and a paying parent earning $6,000 a month, Texas is $1,239.21 whatever the other parent earns; Florida is $1,542.00 when the parent the children live with has no income and $1,192.96 when that parent earns $4,000. With 100 overnights a year with the other parent, Florida drops to $933.82; the Texas guideline does not change.
Is child support higher in Florida or Texas?
It depends on the family. For two children, with the parent they live with earning $4,000 a month and no time-sharing in the formula, at a range of incomes for the other parent:
| Other parent's income a month | Florida | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $290.00 | $184.70 |
| $2,000 | $532.87 | $445.29 |
| $4,000 | $905.71 | $848.92 |
| $6,000 | $1,192.96 | $1,239.21 |
| $9,000 | $1,500.70 | $1,766.83 |
| $12,000 | $1,738.18 | $2,285.21 |
| $16,000 | $2,021.71 | $2,925.00 |
| $25,000 | $2,570.39 | $2,925.00 |
| $40,000 | $3,351.68 | $2,925.00 |
In this family Florida is higher at low incomes, Texas is higher from the middle of the range, and Florida is higher again at the top, once the Texas amount has stopped at its cap. Three more things move the comparison: the income of the parent the children live with, overnights with the other parent, and child care.
How do Florida and Texas calculate child support?
| Florida | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Fla. Stat. § 61.30 | Texas Family Code § 154.125 |
| Model | Income shares schedule | Percentage of the paying parent’s income |
| Whose income | Both parents’ | The paying parent’s |
| Income base | Net income: gross income less income tax for each parent’s filing status, Social Security, Medicare, union dues and the other deductions in § 61.30(3) | Net resources: gross income less federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, union dues and the children’s health insurance (§ 154.062) |
| Two children | From the schedule, split by income share | 25% |
| Cap | None: above $10,000 of combined net income, a percentage of the extra is added | $11,700 a month of net resources |
| Time with the other parent | A formula from 73 overnights a year for each parent | A factor for deviating (§ 154.123) |
| Child care | Added and shared by income | A factor for deviating (§ 154.123) |
| Low income | A case-by-case amount below $800 of the paying parent’s net income | Lower percentages below $1,000 of net resources |
The same family worked through both formulas:
Texas: two children, paying parent's net resources
In Texas: 2 children; the other parent earns $6,000 a month before tax.
Take off taxes§§ 154.061 and 154.062, net resources
$6,000 gross − $372.00 Social Security − $87.00 Medicare − $584.17 federal income tax = $4,956.83 of net resources a month.
$4,956.83Apply the guideline for 2 children§ 154.125, guideline percentages and cap
$4,956.83 × 25% = $1,239.21.
$1,239.21 a month
Florida: the same family, no substantial time-sharing
In Florida: 2 children; the parent the children live with earns $4,000 a month and the other parent $6,000, before tax; 0 overnights a year with the other parent.
Take off taxes, then add the incomes§ 61.30(3) and (4), deductions and net income
Net income a month: the other parent $6,000 − $584.17 federal income tax (single) − $459.00 Social Security and Medicare = $4,956.83; the parent the children live with $4,000 − $0.00 federal income tax (head of household, 2 children claimed) − $306.00 Social Security and Medicare = $3,694.00. $3,694 + $4,956.83 = $8,650.83 a month. The other parent's share is $4,956.83 ÷ $8,650.83 = 57.3%.
57.3%Look up the schedule§ 61.30(6), guidelines schedule
$8,650.83 of combined income uses the row below, $8,650: the schedule's amount for 2 children.
$2,082.00Work out the other parent's share§ 61.30(6)(a), (7), (8), (10) and (11)(b), child care, health insurance and substantial time-sharing
($2,082) × 57.3% = $1,192.96.
$1,192.96 a month
Both start from income after tax: why do the results differ?
Because of what each state does with it. For a paying parent with wages who files as single, the calculator takes off the same federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare in both states, as the worked examples show. Texas then applies one percentage to that net figure. Florida adds the net income of the parent the children live with, reads the schedule for the combined amount, and the paying parent owes their income share of it.
So in Texas the other parent’s income makes no difference, and in Florida it does. The higher it is, the lower the paying parent’s share. The same paying parent at $6,000 a month:
| Parent the children live with earns | Florida | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $1,542.00 | $1,239.21 |
| $2,000 | $1,356.53 | $1,239.21 |
| $4,000 | $1,192.96 | $1,239.21 |
| $8,000 | $983.00 | $1,239.21 |
In Florida the calculator assumes the parent the children live with files as head of household and claims the children, and the other parent files as single. Section 61.30(3)(a) uses each parent’s actual filing status and dependents, so a different arrangement changes the Florida figures.
How does time-sharing change the comparison?
Florida’s guideline uses overnights; the Texas guideline does not. From 73 overnights a year with each parent, 20 percent of the year, each parent’s share of the Florida schedule amount is multiplied by 1.5, weighted by the other parent’s share of the overnights, and the difference is paid (§ 61.30(11)(b)). In Texas, the time of possession and access is one of the factors a court may weigh when deciding whether applying the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate (§ 154.123); the guideline itself stays the same.
| Overnights a year with the other parent | Formula | Support a month | Paid by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 overnights | Sole time-sharing | $1,192.96 | the other parent |
| 72 overnights | Sole time-sharing | $1,192.96 | the other parent |
| 73 overnights | Substantial time-sharing | $1,164.84 | the other parent |
| 100 overnights | Substantial time-sharing | $933.82 | the other parent |
| 146 overnights | Substantial time-sharing | $540.24 | the other parent |
| 182 overnights | Substantial time-sharing | $232.22 | the other parent |
Whatever the overnights, the Texas guideline for this family is $1,239.21. Below the threshold the two are close; from it, Florida falls well below Texas. See time-sharing in Florida and how custody time changes support.
How does child care change the comparison?
Florida adds work related child care and the children’s health insurance to the schedule amount in full and shares them by income, crediting the parent who pays (§ 61.30(7) and (8)). The Texas guideline does not add child care; child care expenses incurred to keep working are a factor for deviating (§ 154.123). With $1,000 a month of child care paid by the parent the children live with:
| State | Guideline model | Support a month | Paid by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Income shares | $1,765.95 | the other parent |
| Texas | Percentage of net resources | $1,239.21 | the other parent |
Which state is higher at low incomes?
Texas lowers its percentages when the paying parent’s net resources are below $1,000 a month: 15% for one child instead of 20% (§ 154.125(c)). Florida has no minimum and no lower percentages. When the paying parent’s net income is below the schedule’s lowest row, $800 a month, the payment is the lesser of their share and 90% of their net income above the federal poverty guideline, and the court sets an amount case by case (§ 61.30(6)(a)). That cap comes to zero at these incomes, so the calculator shows zero and flags that the court decides. One child, with the parent the child lives with earning nothing:
| Other parent's income a month | Florida | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| $800 | $0.00 | $110.82 |
| $900 | $190.00 | $124.67 |
| $1,000 | $213.00 | $138.53 |
| $1,200 | $258.00 | $221.64 |
| $1,500 | $310.00 | $273.88 |
| $2,000 | $390.00 | $356.23 |
In the first row Florida’s figure is the formula’s zero, not an order. From the next row, the paying parent owes their full share of the Florida schedule, which here is more than the Texas percentage. See low incomes in Florida and low incomes in Texas.
Which state is higher at high incomes?
Texas applies its percentage to net resources up to $11,700 a month; above that, a court may order more only for the child’s proven needs (§ 154.126). Florida’s schedule runs to $10,000 of combined net income, and above it a percentage of the extra income is added: 7.5% for two children (§ 61.30(6)(b)). There is no cap, so the Florida amount keeps rising after the Texas one has stopped, as the last rows of the first table show. See high incomes in Florida and high incomes in Texas.
How long does support last, and how is it changed?
| Florida | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual end | The child’s 18th birthday (§ 61.13(1)(a)1) | 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later (§ 154.001) |
| High school student | Past 18, if still in high school and expected in good faith to graduate before 19 (§ 61.13(1)(a)1) | Past 18 while enrolled and meeting attendance requirements (§ 154.002) |
| Changing the amount | A substantial change in circumstances (§ 61.14(1)(a)); the guidelines alone show one at a difference of at least 15 percent or 50 dollars, whichever is greater (§ 61.30(1)(b)) | A material and substantial change, or three years and a guideline difference of 20 percent or 100 dollars (§ 156.401) |
What this comparison does not cover
It compares guideline amounts only. It does not cover which state can set or change an order when the parents live in different states; see moving to another state and parents in different states. Texas medical and dental support, children in more than one household, Florida’s deductions beyond federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and union dues, and the other rules listed in the Florida guide and the Texas guide are not modeled. The figures are estimates, not legal advice.
Run your own numbers
This guide's example: in Florida, 2 children; the parent the children live with earns $4,000 a month and the other parent $6,000, before tax; 0 overnights a year with the other parent. The guideline amount is $1,192.96 a month. Change any number in the calculator and every step of the formula updates.
Open this family in the Florida calculatorQuestions
Is child support higher in Florida or Texas?
It depends. When both parents work, Texas is often higher at middle incomes: $1,239.21 against $1,192.96 in Florida for two children, a paying parent earning $6,000 and the other parent $4,000. Florida is higher when the parent the children live with has a low income, when there is child care, and at very high incomes.
Do Florida and Texas both use net income?
Yes, but differently. Texas uses the paying parent's net resources, after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (§ 154.062). Florida uses both parents' net incomes, after income tax for each parent's filing status, Social Security, Medicare and the other deductions in § 61.30(3).
Does shared custody lower child support in Florida and Texas?
In Florida, by formula, when each parent has at least 73 overnights a year (§ 61.30(11)(b)). In Texas there is no formula: time of possession and access is a factor a court may weigh when deciding whether to depart from the guideline (§ 154.123).
Which state is higher for high earners?
Texas applies its percentage only to net resources up to $11,700 a month, and a court may add more for the child's proven needs (§ 154.126). Florida has no cap: above $10,000 of combined net income a percentage of the extra income is added, so at very high incomes Florida is higher.
When does child support end in Florida and in Texas?
In Florida, on the child's 18th birthday, or later for a child still in high school who is expected to graduate before 19 (§ 61.13(1)(a)1). In Texas, at 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later, or indefinitely for a disabled child (§ 154.001).
Sources
- Texas Family Code chapter 154, Child support (§§ 154.001, 154.002, 154.062, 154.123, 154.125, 154.126)
- Texas Family Code § 156.401, Grounds for modification of child support
- Fla. Stat. § 61.30, Child support guidelines; retroactive child support (2026 Florida Statutes)
- Florida Family Law Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25)
- Fla. Stat. § 61.13, Support of children; parenting and time-sharing (2026 Florida Statutes)
- Fla. Stat. § 61.14, Enforcement and modification of support (2026 Florida Statutes)
- Figures on this page are computed by the Coparent Math engine with Florida and Texas's rules in force on 3 Nov 2026 unless a table says otherwise, from:
- Fla. Stat. § 61.30, child support guidelines (2026 Florida Statutes), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Florida Family Law Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Florida Family Law Form 12.902(c), Financial Affidavit, lines 18 to 27 (deductions and net income), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Quadrennial Review of the Florida Child Support Guidelines, report to the Legislature (Office of Economic and Demographic Research, 1 February 2026), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Texas OAG revised 2025 tax charts (standard deduction and brackets used), checked 31 Oct 2026
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments), checked 31 Oct 2026
- Social Security Administration: contribution and benefit base, and OASDI and HI tax rates, checked 31 Oct 2026
- HHS ASPE: 2026 poverty guidelines (one person, 48 contiguous states), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Texas Family Code chapter 154, checked 2 Nov 2026
- Texas OAG 2026 tax charts (net resources cap effective 1 September 2025, in the chart's footnotes), checked 31 Oct 2026
Related guides
Up
Related
- Time-sharing and 50/50 custody in Florida child support (2026)When each parent has at least 20 percent of the overnights, 73 a year, Florida courts shall adjust child support under Fla. Stat. § 61.30(11)(b): each parent's share of the schedule amount is multiplied by 1.5, then by the other parent's percentage of the overnights, and the difference is paid, adjusted for child care and health insurance. With equal time, the parent with the higher net income usually pays.
- Child support above the income cap in Texas (2026)Since 1 September 2025 the Texas guideline applies to the paying parent's net resources up to $11,700 a month. For one child that caps the guideline at $2,340.00 a month. A court may order more than the guideline only depending on the parents' incomes and the proven needs of the child, and never more than the greater of the guideline amount or the child's proven needs (Texas Family Code § 154.126).
Comparisons
- Florida vs Georgia child support: which state is higher? (2026)Neither is always higher. Without shared time the two are close at middle incomes: for two children with incomes of $4,000 and $6,000 a month, the guideline is $1,192.96 in Florida and $1,143.60 in Georgia. Time with the other parent makes the bigger difference: Georgia lowers support for every court-ordered day, while Florida changes nothing until 73 overnights a year and then drops faster. At low incomes Georgia's low-income table can bring support below Florida's.
- Texas vs New York child support: which state is higher? (2026)For a typical middle income family New York's guideline is higher than Texas's. For two children and a paying parent earning $6,000 a month, it is $1,385.25 in New York and $1,239.21 in Texas, and the gap widens when there is child care, which New York adds and Texas does not. At low incomes the order flips: New York's low income rules can bring support far below the Texas amount.
- Texas vs Virginia child support: which state is higher? (2026)It depends mostly on two things: the income of the parent the children live with, and custody time. Texas looks only at the paying parent's net income, so for two children and a paying parent earning $6,000 a month it is $1,239.21 whatever the other parent earns. Virginia uses both incomes and is $1,094.40 when the other parent earns $4,000, and $258.86 with 182 days a year of shared time. When the parent the children live with has no income, or at very high incomes, Virginia can be higher.
More about Florida and Texas
- Back child support (arrears) in Florida: interest, enforcement and crime (2026)In Florida, a support installment that is due and unpaid becomes a final judgment by operation of law once the parent who owes it has been given notice and time to contest, and the depository charges interest on support judgments at the judgment rate set under § 55.03, which is 7.87 percent a year for judgments obtained in the quarter from 1 October 2026 (Fla. Stat. § 61.14(6)). Arrears are collected through income deduction, driver's license and vehicle registration suspension, liens, bank levies, credit reporting and tax refund and passport programs. Willfully not paying support that a parent is able to pay is a crime under § 827.06, and arrears that accrued before a petition to modify cannot be reduced.
- Back child support (arrears) in Texas (2026)In Texas, every missed child support payment is a final judgment, and the unpaid amount carries simple interest of 6 percent a year until it is paid or confirmed as a money judgment, which then carries the same rate (Texas Family Code §§ 157.261 and 157.265). Arrears can be collected by income withholding, liens, license suspension, federal tax refund intercept and passport denial, and enforced by contempt with jail. A court cannot forgive or reduce confirmed arrears, and the right to collect continues after the child turns 18.
- Child support and your tax refund: the offset rules (2026)Yes. Under 42 U.S.C. § 664, the Treasury withholds a federal tax refund to pay past-due child support that a state child support agency has certified, and sends the money to that state. A case qualifies when at least $150 is owed on support assigned to the state for public assistance, or at least $500 in other cases (45 CFR 303.72). The state must send a notice first that explains how to contest the amount, and a spouse on a joint return can claim their share back with IRS Form 8379.
- Changing a child support order in Florida (2026)Either parent can ask the court to increase or decrease child support when the circumstances or financial ability of either party change (Fla. Stat. § 61.14(1)(a)). The guidelines can show a substantial change on their own when the difference between the existing order and the guideline amount is at least 15 percent or $50, whichever is greater (§ 61.30(1)(b)). A modification can apply back to the date the petition was filed.
- Child support when parents live in different statesWhen parents live in different states, the court that sets support applies its own state's law and guideline (Texas Family Code § 159.303). A state can make an order against a parent who lives elsewhere only on one of the jurisdiction bases in the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (§ 159.201); otherwise the case is heard in the other parent's state, with the two states' child support agencies working together. An order from another state is registered to be enforced, and in Texas the other party has 30 days after notice to contest it (§ 159.605).
- Does 50/50 custody mean no child support? Texas, New York and Virginia (2026)No. In Texas, New York and Virginia, equal time with each parent does not by itself end child support. Only Virginia's guideline uses the number of days: above 90 days a year with each parent, a shared custody formula lowers support, and with equal time the parent who earns more usually pays the difference. Texas and New York apply their usual formula; in Texas, parenting time is a factor a court may weigh to depart from it, and New York's statute has no shared custody formula, but with truly equal time its appellate courts make the parent with the larger income share the paying parent.