A Brief Overview of Single Parenting Statistics

There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes when it comes to single parent households, but when single parenting statistics are closely examined, these false ideas are quickly put to rest. United States census data from 2000 shows that at the time there were 13.5 million parents with sole custody. In fact, most of these households even have more than 1 minor child to take care of. Additionally, 84 percent of these households have mothers as custodial parents leaving only 16 percent headed by the father. Single parent statistics state that of all the households headed by the mother, 44 percent are divorced or separated, 33 percent were never married, 22 percent are women who have remarried, and only 1 percent are widows. It is a common misconception that single moms can support themselves and their children with child support received from the father, but single parenting statistics make it clear that this is not the case. In fact, the stats show that the average amount a single mother would receive from child support is about $4,900 a year. That’s not enough to pay for one person besides support a family. It is common for the mom to work at least part time, and the average income earned in a year is about $28,000. So even with help from the father, it can be difficult to make ends meet. When it comes to a custodial mother’s work status, single parent statistics state the following: 79 percent are employed, 50 percent work full time all year long, and 29 percent work part time or for part of the year. It is also not as common as you may think for single moms to need welfare or some other financial assistance program to support themselves for their children. Only 31 percent of these moms receive some form of public assistance and only 6 percent are enrolled in welfare, also known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Another common myth which single parenting statistics puts to rest is that most single mothers are teenagers or young adults. Actually, 37.7 percent of all custodial mothers are 40 years old and up. Also, while it is true that many of them live below the poverty level, just barely getting by, the stats show that only 27.7 percent of these moms live in what is considered abject poverty. However, this is still larger than custodial fathers, only 11.1 percent of which live in poverty. The few examples of single parenting statistics that we have looked at in this article have painted a picture of the average single parent which is much different than is commonly accepted. Most single parents are responsible individuals who work hard in order to support themselves and their children with the limited resources they have available.