Massachusetts has two distinct MSA's, Boston and Fitchburg, for which statistics were available. By adjusting for the high cost of living in Massachusetts, it would be expected that child support obligations adjusted for COL would fall into line with the national average. Results of the Fassler study, adjusted for COL, are summarized in the chart below for three of the seven income scenarios in Fassler's study. Cost of living information is not produced by the US Government. The factor for the United States as a whole is 1.0.
Major items included in the index include housing, food, and transportation.
State orders calculated by the Fassler study were adjusted up or down, based on the COLI for the various MSAs within their state. Typically, child support guideline formulae are defined at the state level, as opposed to multiple regions in each state having separate guidelines. Thus, they produce the same results across all towns in any given state. Based on this analysis, it would appear that when the Fassler study results are normalized for cost of living, the Massachusetts guideline formula still yields a result far higher than the national average. This result holds for the Fitchburg-Leominster area, as well as more expensive Boston.