Colorado Child Support Calculator (2026)
Colorado adds both parents’ adjusted gross income, reads a basic obligation from the 2026 schedule, and divides it by income share. Income between the $50 rows is interpolated, and the schedule now runs to $40,000 a month.
Updated November 12, 2026 Sources and methodology
- Estimated monthly support
- $0
Enter the incomes above to see who pays whom.
What this estimate does not include
How Colorado calculates child support
Colorado uses the income-shares model under C.R.S. Section 14-10-115. The parents’ monthly adjusted gross incomes are added, the schedule gives a basic child support obligation for that combined income and the number of children, and the obligation is divided in proportion to each parent’s adjusted gross income.
House Bill 25-1159, signed in May 2025, replaced the schedule and the low-income rules effective March 1, 2026. The new schedule raised the amounts, extended the table from $30,000 to $40,000 of combined income, and replaced the old $1,500 low-income threshold with a self-support reserve based on the state minimum wage.
This page covers the basic obligation. The March 2026 worksheet also handles the shared parenting time credit, health insurance, child care, and extraordinary medical expenses.
The 2026 schedule and interpolation
The schedule runs from $1,500 to $40,000 of combined monthly adjusted gross income in $50 steps, with columns for one through six children. The statute says that when the combined income falls between two rows, the basic obligation is interpolated; it is not rounded to the nearest row.
Above $40,000 the schedule stops. The court then sets support based on the child’s needs and the parents’ circumstances, so this calculator uses the $40,000 row as a floor rather than extrapolating.
The schedule’s opening row is $1,500, where the one-child obligation is $309. Below that, the low-income rules in the next section take over.
Adjusted gross income
Colorado starts with gross income from all sources and adjusts it for maintenance paid and received, prior child support orders for other children, and a short list of statutory items. Income tax and FICA are not deducted, which is why the input is gross rather than take-home pay.
Income includes wages, overtime, bonuses, commissions, self-employment and business income, rent, interest, dividends, capital gains, pensions, unemployment, disability, and Social Security. A court can impute income when a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, using that parent’s history, qualifications, and the local job market.
Irregular income is averaged over a representative period. A calculator that takes one monthly figure per parent cannot reproduce an imputation finding or the worksheet’s adjustment for maintenance.
The self-support reserve and low-income rules
The 2026 self-support reserve is $1,831.83 a month. It is the state minimum wage multiplied by 29 hours a week and 50 weeks a year, divided by 12, so the figure moves when the minimum wage does.
If the paying parent’s adjusted gross income is $650 or less, the order is $10 a month regardless of the number of children. If the parent earns more than $650 but no more than the reserve, the basic obligation is reduced to $50 for one child, $70 for two, $90 for three, $110 for four, $130 for five, and $150 for six or more.
The statute also caps the total obligation for some parents just above the reserve. That additional cap is not applied here, which can make an estimate in that band higher than the order.
Parenting time and add-ons
Colorado’s shared parenting time credit changed with HB25-1159. Before March 2026 it applied only after a 93-night threshold; now the credit can apply from the first overnight, and the definition of shared physical care was simplified. The credit is calculated after the basic obligation and depends on the overnight count and both incomes.
This calculator does not apply the credit; it shows the basic obligation before any parenting-time adjustment.
Health insurance for the children, work-related child care, and extraordinary medical expenses are added on the worksheet and shared in proportion to adjusted gross income. None of them are included in this estimate.
A Colorado example at $8,000 combined
Parent A earns $5,000 and Parent B earns $3,000 of monthly adjusted gross income, with two children. Combined income is $8,000, and the schedule gives $1,808. Parent A’s 62.5% share is $1,130 a month.
At a lower income the basic schedule applies directly: one earner at $3,350 with one child uses the $3,350 row, which gives $645. And at $1,000 with two children, the paying parent is below the self-support reserve, so the low-income floor of $70 applies instead of the percentage share.
When the official worksheet is the better choice
The JDF 1821 worksheet and the court’s online calculator handle the full calculation: adjusted income, the schedule, the self-support reserve, the shared parenting time credit, health insurance, child care, and extraordinary medical expenses. Use them if the parents share overnights, if either parent supports other children, or if income must be imputed.
A Colorado family law attorney is the right next step when the parents disagree about income or parenting time. The guideline amount is the starting point; the court’s order controls.
Frequently asked questions
How does Colorado calculate child support in 2026?
Colorado uses the income shares model under C.R.S. Section 14-10-115. House Bill 25-1159 replaced the schedule effective March 1, 2026. The parents’ adjusted gross incomes are added, the schedule gives a basic obligation for that combined income and the number of children, and the obligation is divided in proportion to each parent’s adjusted gross income.
What is the range of the Colorado schedule?
The 2026 schedule runs from $1,500 to $40,000 of combined monthly adjusted gross income in $50 steps, with columns for one through six children. Between two rows the statute says to interpolate, not round. Above $40,000 the court sets support based on the child’s needs and the parents’ circumstances, so the calculator uses the $40,000 row as a floor.
What is “adjusted gross income” in Colorado?
Gross income from all sources, adjusted for maintenance paid and received, prior child support orders for other children, and a short list of statutory items. Income tax and FICA are not deducted. A court can also impute income when a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.
What is the Colorado self-support reserve?
It is the state hourly minimum wage multiplied by 29 hours a week and 50 weeks a year, divided by 12. For 2026 it is $1,831.83 a month. If the paying parent earns $650 or less, the order is $10 a month. If the parent earns more than $650 but no more than the reserve, the basic obligation is reduced to $50 for one child, $70 for two, $90 for three, $110 for four, $130 for five, and $150 for six.
Does parenting time reduce Colorado child support?
Yes, through the shared parenting time credit. Since March 1, 2026, the credit can apply from the first overnight rather than only after a 93-night threshold. The credit is calculated after the basic obligation and depends on the overnight count and the parents’ incomes. This calculator shows the basic obligation before the credit.
Does Colorado child support include health insurance and childcare?
They are added to the basic obligation on the worksheet. The children’s health insurance premium, work-related child care, and extraordinary medical expenses are shared in proportion to adjusted gross income. The estimate here covers only the basic schedule amount.
- C.R.S. Section 14-10-115: child support guidelines and schedule
- HB25-1159: Child Support Commission updates effective March 1, 2026
- Colorado Judicial Department: JDF 1821 Support Worksheet (March 1, 2026)
Figures are estimates for the basic obligation and are not legal advice. The court’s order controls. See the methodology and update policy.