In 2022, there were about 4.15 million Black families in the United States with a single mother. This is an increase from 1990 levels, when there were about 3.4 million Black families with a single mother.

Single parenthood

The typical family is comprised of two parents and at least one child. However, that is not the case in every single situation. A single parent is someone who has a child but no spouse or partner. Single parenthood occurs for different reasons, including divorce, death, abandonment, or single-person adoption. Historically, single parenthood was common due to mortality rates due to war, diseases, and maternal mortality. However, divorce was not as common back then, depending on the culture.

Single parent wellbeing

In countries where social welfare programs are not strong, single parents tend to suffer more financially, emotionally, and mentally. In the United States, most single parents are mothers. The struggles that single parents face are greater than those in two parent households. The number of families with a single mother in the United States has increased since 1990, but the poverty rate of black families with a single mother has significantly decreased since that same year. In comparison, the poverty rate of Asian families with a single mother, and the percentage of white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother who live below the poverty level in the United States have both been fluctuating since 2002.

Graph and download economic data for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Black Hawk County, IA (S1101SPHOUSE019013) from 2009 to 2023 about Black Hawk County, IA; Waterloo; single-parent; IA; 5-year; households; and USA.

In 1990, 48.1 percent of all Black families with a single mother in the United States lived below the poverty level. In 2023, that figure had decreased to 25.9 percent. This is significantly higher than white households with a single mother. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

In 2023, there were about 1.18 million Black families with a single father living in the United States. This is an increase from 1990, when there were 472,000 Black families with a single father in the U.S.

In 2023, there were about 1.06 million Black families with a single mother living below the poverty level in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Black Hawk County, IA was 36.33% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Black Hawk County, IA reached a record high of 37.47 in January of 2022 and a record low of 33.25 in January of 2015. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Single-Parent Households with Children as a Percentage of Households with Children (5-year estimate) in Black Hawk County, IA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

This graph shows the Percentage of households led by a female householder with no spouse present with own children under 18 years living in the household in the U.S. in 2021, by state. In 2021, about 4.24 percent of Californian households were single mother households with at least one child.

Additional information on single mother households and poverty in the United States

For most single mothers a constant battle persists between finding the time and energy to raise their children and the demands of working to supply an income to house and feed their families. The pressures of a single income and the high costs of childcare mean that the risk of poverty for these families is a tragic reality. Comparison of the overall United States poverty rate since 1990 with that of the poverty rate for families with a female householder shows that poverty is much more prevalent in the latter. In 2021, while the overall rate was at 11.6 percent, the rate of poverty for single mother families was 23 percent. Moreover, the degree of fluctuation tends to be lower for single female household families, suggesting the rate of poverty for these groups is less affected by economic conditions.

The sharp rise in the number of children living with a single mother or single father in the United States from 1970 to 2022 suggests more must be done to ensure that families in such situations are able to avoid poverty. Moreover, attention should also be placed on overall racial income inequality given the higher rate of poverty for Hispanic single mother families than their white or Asian counterparts.

Black Hawk County - Single-Parent Households with Children - Historical chart and current data through 2023.

The purpose of this study was to determine the role that extended families play in supporting African American single mothers. The sample consists of 320 African American single mothers and 126 of their "significant others." All mothers were over 20 years old, worked outside the home, and had children under the age of 18 living at home. Significant others were defined as the person who was most supportive of the respondent; half of these were relatives. The mothers completed a questionnaire inquiring about families of origin and families of procreation as well as the following topics: mobility patterns, significant life events, interactions with family and friends, concerns of single mothers, sources of stress, role conflicts and coping strategies, help-seeking and help-exchange patterns, utilization of services, and race-related attitudes. The questionnaire also assessed mental health and included scales about general well-being, anxiety, self-esteem, degree of control, role satisfaction, and life satisfaction. The questionnaire completed by the significant others included many of the same questions as well as questions about the relationship with the mother. The Murray Research Archive holds both numeric file data, and original record paper data from the mothers and the significant others.

In 2023, there were about 211,000 Black families with a single father living below the poverty level in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

In 2023, there were about 15.09 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.05 million children living with a single father. The number of children living with a single mother is down from its peak in 2012, and the number of children living with a single father is down from its peak in 2005.

Marriage and divorce in the United States

Despite popular opinion in the United States that “half of all marriages end in divorce,” the divorce rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly since 1992. The marriage rate, which has also been decreasing since the 1990s, was still higher than the divorce rate in 2021. Half of all marriages may not end in divorce, but it does seem that fewer people are choosing to get married in the first place.

New family structures

In addition to a falling marriage rate, fewer people in the U.S. have children under the age of 18 living in the house in comparison to 1970. Over the past decade, the share of families with children under 18, whether that be married couples or single parents, has stayed mostly steady, although the number of births in the U.S. has also fallen.

There are just under **** million single parent families in the United Kingdom as of 2024, compared with *** million in 1996.

The purpose of this study was to examine family members' perceptions of their own and other family members' childrearing involvement in diverse African-American family types. Special attention was given to the role of the grandmother in family life and to the nature of extended African-American families. Sixty-four African-American families residing in a southern university community were selected for participation in the study on the basis of family structure (e.g. single-parent or dual-parent families) and grandmother residence (e.g. grandmother living with the family or grandmother living in the local community). Participants were interviewed in their homes by two African-American researchers. Grandparents, parents, and children were all interviewed. Measures included a structured interview designed for the purpose of the study, the Bronfenbrenner Parental Behavior Scale, Moos' Family Environment Scale, the Household Task List, and the Performance of Childcare Duties Form. Variables assessed in this study were family structure; grandmother domicile; perceptions of family members' involvement in childcare, including parenting styles and participation in household responsibilities; attitudes towards family members' perceived involvement; attitudes about self and children's school performance; and family environment.

Percent of Children in Single-Parent Families is the percentage of children under age 18 who live with their own single parent, either in a family or subfamily. In this definition, single-parent families may include cohabiting couples and do not include children living with married stepparents. SOURCE: * U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

In 2023, there were about 6.65 million white, non-Hispanic families with a single mother living in the United States. This is a slight increase from 1990, when there were 6.4 million white families with a single mother living in the U.S.

A national sample survey dataset covering a wide variety of issues on American family life beginning in 1987-88 and at two subsequent timepoints1992-93 and 2001-03. Topics covered included detailed household composition, family background, adult family transitions, couple interactions, parent-child interactions, education and work, health, economic and psychological well-being, and family attitudes. The first wave interviewed 13,017 respondents, including a main cross-section sample of 9,643 persons aged 19 and over plus an oversample of minorities and households containing single-parent families, step-families, recently married couples, and cohabiting couples. In each household, a randomly selected adult was interviewed. In addition, a shorter, self-administered questionnaire was filled out by the spouse or cohabiting partner of the primary respondent. Interviews averaged about 100 minutes, although interview length varied considerably with the complexity of the respondent''s family history. In 1992-94, an in-person interview was conducted of all surviving members of the original sample, the current spouse or cohabiting partner, and with the baseline spouse or partner in cases where the relationship had ended. Telephone interviews were conducted with focal children who were aged 5-12 and 13-18 at baseline. Short proxy interviews were conducted with a surviving spouse or other relative in cases where the original respondent died or was too ill to interview. A telephone interview was conducted with one randomly selected parent of the main respondent. In 2001-03, telephone interviews were conducted with: Surviving members of the original respondents who had a focal child age 5 or over at baseline; the baseline spouse/partner of these original respondents, whether or not the couple was still together; the focal children who were in the household and aged 5-18 at baselinemost of whom were interviewed at wave 2; and all other original respondents age 45 or older in 2000, and their baseline spouse/partner. Oversamples: Blacks, 9.2%; Mexican-Americans, 2.4%; Puerto Ricans, 0.7% * Dates of Study: 1987-2003 * Study Features: Longitudinal, Minority Oversampling * Sample Size (original respondents): ** Wave I (1987-88): 13,017 ** Wave II (1992-93): 10,007 ** Wave III (2001-03): 8,990 Links: * Wave I (ICPSR): http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/06041 * Wave II (ICPSR): http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/06906 * Wave III (ICPSR): http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/00171

Zip Code; Population Size; African American; Asian/Pacific Islander; Latino; White; Foreign-born; Speaks a language other than English at home; Single parent households; Households with children; Average household size; 0-5 years; 6-11 years; 12-17 years; 18-24 years; 25-34 years; 35-44 years; 45-54 years; 55-64 years; Ages 65 and older; Ages 17 and younger. Percentages unless otherwise noted. Source information provided at: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/hi/hd/Documents/City%20Profiles/Methodology/Neighborhood%20profile%20methodology_082914%20final%20for%20web.pdf

This 20-year longitudinal study, begun in 1969-1970, examines the influence of adoption on child and family development in intraracial, transracial, single-parent, and two-parent adoptive and biological families. Data collection included child, parent, and family interviews; and child completion of psychological tests, and questionnaires about racial and gender identity (e.g., Doll Puzzle, Doll Test, Semantic Differential Pictures, Toy Preferential Pictures, Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire), intelligence (e.g., Preschool Attainment Record, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Slosson Intelligence Test for Children and Adults), and social maturity (i.e., the Vineland Social Maturity Scale).

In 2023, there were around 15.18 million families with a female householder and no spouse present in the United States, an increase from the previous year. You can get an overview on the total number of households in the U.S. here.

City, Population Size, African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, White, Foreign-born, Speaks a language other than English at home, Single parent households, Households with children, Average household size, 0-5 years, 6-11 years, 12-17 years, 18-24 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-54 years, 55-64 years,Ages 65 and older, Ages 17 and younger. Percentages unless otherwise noted. Source information provided at: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/phd/hi/hd/Documents/City%20Profiles/Methodology/Neighborhood%20profile%20methodology_082914%20final%20for%20web.pdf