Single Mother Statistics by State
Single-mother families represent a substantial share of families raising children in the United States, but their prevalence and economic circumstances vary considerably across states.
This analysis uses 2025 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to examine four measures: the number of single-mother families, their share of families with children under age 18, their share of single-parent families, and the poverty rate among single-mother families with related children under age 18. 1
At the national level, approximately 23% of families with children under age 18 are headed by a single mother. State-level estimates show considerable geographic variation. Louisiana has the highest share among the states at 31.9%, followed by Mississippi at 31.3% and Rhode Island at 30.1%. The lowest shares are reported in Idaho (14.5%), Utah (14.7%), and Colorado (17.3%). 1
The map below shows the share of families with children under age 18 that are headed by a single mother in each state, based on the same 2025 American Community Survey estimates.
- Alabama AL27.4%
- Alaska AK22.1%
- Arizona AZ23.9%
- Arkansas AR24.7%
- California CA21.8%
- Colorado CO17.3%
- Connecticut CT23.7%
- Delaware DE24.3%
- District of Columbia DC31.8%
- Florida FL24.2%
- Georgia GA27.6%
- Hawaii HI22.3%
- Idaho ID14.5%
- Illinois IL22.9%
- Indiana IN23.6%
- Iowa IA20.5%
- Kansas KS19.6%
- Kentucky KY22.9%
- Louisiana LA31.9%
- Maine ME19.2%
- Maryland MD25.4%
- Massachusetts MA22.1%
- Michigan MI23.3%
- Minnesota MN18.8%
- Mississippi MS31.3%
- Missouri MO22.7%
- Montana MT17.7%
- Nebraska NE17.9%
- Nevada NV24%
- New Hampshire NH18%
- New Jersey NJ20.2%
- New Mexico NM26.9%
- New York NY25.5%
- North Carolina NC23.8%
- North Dakota ND19.5%
- Ohio OH24.7%
- Oklahoma OK23.2%
- Oregon OR23.5%
- Pennsylvania PA23.4%
- Rhode Island RI30.1%
- South Carolina SC26.8%
- South Dakota SD20.6%
- Tennessee TN23%
- Texas TX22.6%
- Utah UT14.7%
- Vermont VT19.8%
- Virginia VA20.7%
- Washington WA19.4%
- West Virginia WV23.7%
- Wisconsin WI21.5%
- Wyoming WY20.3%
Websites may embed this map with the code below. The map updates automatically with each yearly data refresh and links to the source.
Economic outcomes also vary substantially. The estimated poverty rate among single-mother families is 43.2% in Mississippi, 43.1% in Louisiana, and 41.1% in Kentucky. At the lower end of the distribution, the rate is 21.2% in New Jersey, 21.5% in Delaware, and 21.8% in New Hampshire. These figures describe differences in observed economic conditions; they do not, by themselves, establish why poverty rates differ between states. 2
Share of Single Mother Households in Each U.S. State
Which state has the highest share of single-mother families?
Louisiana has the highest share of families with children headed by a single mother, at 31.9%. the District of Columbia follows at 31.8% and Mississippi at 31.3%. The median state is 22.9%.
Which state has the lowest share of single-mother families?
Idaho has the lowest share, at 14.5%, followed by Utah at 14.7% and Colorado at 17.3%. The highest share is 2.2 times the lowest.
The table below presents the underlying state-level estimates. Select a state to examine its demographic characteristics and available assistance programs.
| State | Single-mother families | % with children | % of single-parent families | Poverty rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 135,880 | 27.4% | 76.4% | 38.7% |
| Alaska | 17,774 | 22.1% | 70.4% | 33.0% |
| Arizona | 166,845 | 23.9% | 69.6% | 24.4% |
| Arkansas | 82,618 | 24.7% | 74.1% | 37.7% |
| California | 789,538 | 21.8% | 70.6% | 26.6% |
| Colorado | 106,426 | 17.3% | 65.4% | 25.3% |
| Connecticut | 85,175 | 23.7% | 73.8% | 24.6% |
| Delaware | 23,425 | 24.3% | 66.9% | 21.5% |
| District of Columbia | 17,488 | 31.8% | 84.6% | 43.3% |
| Florida | 489,769 | 24.2% | 72.0% | 26.2% |
| Georgia | 305,473 | 27.6% | 79.8% | 30.3% |
| Hawaii | 25,661 | 22.3% | 73.9% | 23.7% |
| Idaho | 30,991 | 14.5% | 64.5% | 30.7% |
| Illinois | 280,834 | 22.9% | 73.1% | 29.1% |
| Indiana | 170,412 | 23.6% | 69.1% | 33.1% |
| Iowa | 71,492 | 20.5% | 66.7% | 27.8% |
| Kansas | 62,173 | 19.6% | 67.8% | 33.6% |
| Kentucky | 109,353 | 22.9% | 70.6% | 41.1% |
| Louisiana | 146,210 | 31.9% | 76.6% | 43.1% |
| Maine | 24,157 | 19.2% | 63.8% | 29.2% |
| Maryland | 159,695 | 25.4% | 76.4% | 24.4% |
| Massachusetts | 145,922 | 22.1% | 75.9% | 25.5% |
| Michigan | 227,775 | 23.3% | 71.0% | 33.4% |
| Minnesota | 115,211 | 18.8% | 69.0% | 27.5% |
| Mississippi | 93,783 | 31.3% | 74.8% | 43.2% |
| Missouri | 145,214 | 22.7% | 72.6% | 28.8% |
| Montana | 19,411 | 17.7% | 62.9% | 33.0% |
| Nebraska | 39,168 | 17.9% | 64.0% | 27.0% |
| Nevada | 70,964 | 24.0% | 64.8% | 27.3% |
| New Hampshire | 22,203 | 18.0% | 66.6% | 21.8% |
| New Jersey | 195,792 | 20.2% | 73.5% | 21.2% |
| New Mexico | 52,954 | 26.9% | 66.1% | 36.5% |
| New York | 459,646 | 25.5% | 75.1% | 32.5% |
| North Carolina | 268,866 | 23.8% | 73.8% | 31.2% |
| North Dakota | 17,700 | 19.5% | 62.0% | 32.4% |
| Ohio | 290,068 | 24.7% | 71.3% | 35.1% |
| Oklahoma | 98,267 | 23.2% | 70.2% | 38.5% |
| Oregon | 95,012 | 23.5% | 71.9% | 30.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 285,754 | 23.4% | 72.0% | 30.6% |
| Puerto Rico | 109,024 | 46.6% | 78.6% | 65.4% |
| Rhode Island | 30,329 | 30.1% | 74.8% | 27.2% |
| South Carolina | 147,105 | 26.8% | 76.2% | 31.9% |
| South Dakota | 20,397 | 20.6% | 65.0% | 33.6% |
| Tennessee | 166,859 | 23.0% | 72.0% | 33.2% |
| Texas | 759,180 | 22.6% | 72.9% | 33.2% |
| Utah | 58,030 | 14.7% | 67.9% | 25.6% |
| Vermont | 12,156 | 19.8% | 61.6% | 26.4% |
| Virginia | 186,734 | 20.7% | 71.9% | 27.7% |
| Washington | 156,567 | 19.4% | 67.9% | 27.0% |
| West Virginia | 40,044 | 23.7% | 68.3% | 40.7% |
| Wisconsin | 128,758 | 21.5% | 68.4% | 28.7% |
| Wyoming | 12,716 | 20.3% | 67.4% | 30.0% |
Methodology and definitions
The estimates presented above are based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates. The ACS is an annual survey that produces demographic, social, economic, and housing estimates for communities throughout the United States.
What counts as a single-mother family?
For this analysis, a single-mother family is based on the Census Bureau’s family-type classification and refers to a family headed by a woman with no spouse present.
This classification should not be interpreted simply as a count of all unmarried mothers. A woman can be living with an unmarried partner and still be classified as a mother with no spouse present under the Census Bureau’s definition. Similarly, the measure describes family structure at the time of the survey and does not capture the full history or circumstances of a family.
Population covered by the statistics
The number of single-mother families and their share of families with children are based on families with their own children under age 18.
The poverty measure applies to families with related children under age 18. These population definitions are important because estimates can differ depending on whether the analysis includes all households with children, all parents, or only families meeting the Census Bureau’s specific family definitions.
Understanding the poverty rate
The poverty rate shown in the table represents the percentage of single-mother families with related children under age 18 whose income was below the applicable federal poverty threshold during the 12 months preceding the survey.
The federal poverty thresholds are statistical measures used by the Census Bureau to determine poverty status. They vary according to family size and composition. The poverty rate should therefore be understood as a measure of income relative to the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds, rather than as a direct measure of financial hardship or material well-being.
Interpreting state differences
The data show substantial geographic differences in both the prevalence of single-mother families and their poverty rates.
For example, Mississippi has a single-mother family share more than twice that of Utah: 33.4% compared with 13.2%. Mississippi also has a substantially higher estimated poverty rate among single-mother families, at 43.9%, compared with 22.7% in Utah.
However, these statistics should be interpreted as descriptive differences, not evidence of a causal relationship between family structure and poverty. The table does not attempt to determine why the rates differ between states.
State-level outcomes can reflect multiple factors, including employment opportunities, wages, housing costs, household composition, educational attainment, access to child care, demographic characteristics, and differences in public assistance and tax policies. Establishing the contribution of any individual factor would require additional analysis beyond the ACS statistics presented here.
Statistical uncertainty
ACS estimates are based on survey responses and therefore contain sampling uncertainty. Each estimate has a margin of error, and the size of that uncertainty can vary considerably between states and between measures.
This is particularly important for states with smaller populations. For example, the estimated poverty rate for Wyoming has a margin of error of approximately ±8.5 percentage points. A reported rate of 32.5% should therefore not be interpreted as an exact population value.
Small differences between states may also fall within the estimates’ margins of error. For that reason, rankings based on very small percentage-point differences should be treated cautiously unless statistical significance has been established.
How to use these statistics
These figures provide a state-level demographic and economic baseline for understanding the circumstances of single-mother families. They can also provide context for examining differences in eligibility for public assistance and other programs.
For national figures and additional analysis, see single mother statistics.
Footnotes
-
U.S. Census Bureau, Family Type by Presence and Age of Own Children Under 18, 2025 American Community Survey 1-year estimates. ↩ ↩2
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U.S. Census Bureau, Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families, 2025 American Community Survey 1-year estimates. ↩
About this information
SingleMotherGuide.com is an independent state-by-state reference guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Program amounts and income limits are compiled from official federal and state sources, which are cited on the page, and are reviewed periodically and updated as those sources change.
The information is provided for general guidance and is not legal or financial advice. The administering agency makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts. To report an error, please contact us.
Data freshness
Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources cited above and may change; refer to the cited sources for the most current information.
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- Ada Hu