Single mom households juggle everything from time and childcare to jobs and benefits, and the figures are sharper than most people expect. In 2025, 73% of low-income mothers reported relying on smartphones to find information, from health resources to job searches, even as so many still face barriers like part-time work, poverty risk, and unstable housing. Let’s connect these realities by looking at the exact statistics behind what day to day life can demand of a single mother.
Key Takeaways
- 44% of single mothers with children under 18 were in poverty in 2019, compared with 21% of single fathers
- In 2022, 30.3% of children living with a single mother were living in poverty
- 5.9 million single mothers (single-parent families headed by women) with children under 18 were employed in 2022
- In 2022, 13.4% of single mothers were not in the labor force
- In 2022, 36.1% of single mothers were working part-time (less than 35 hours/week) or not full-time/year-round
- Single mothers spent 1.4x as many hours on childcare as married-couple mothers in 2019 (median hours comparison, CPS Time Use Survey)
- In 2019, single mothers spent 49.8% more time on unpaid care work than single fathers (childcare + housework time, CPS Time Use Survey)
- In FY 2022, TANF served 2,046,000 families total (including single-mother families)
- In 2022, the CCDF national average reimbursement rate was 73% of the estimated cost of care
- Single mothers’ smartphone adoption reached 85% in 2023 (Pew Research Center survey of US adults)
- In 2020, single mothers spent $1,200 per year on child care and personal care services (US consumer expenditure survey, CPSCE tables)
- 25.7% of children lived with a single mother (with no husband present) in 2022, according to the Census Bureau’s CPS ASEC estimates
- $2.1 billion in child support was distributed by state child support agencies in fiscal year 2022 (reflecting support collections on behalf of children in single-parent situations)
- $72.0 billion in federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments supported people with disabilities and low income in FY 2022 (relevant for many single parents raising children with disability-related income support needs)
- 14.7% of households with children experienced housing cost burden in 2022 (home costs consuming more than 30% of income), which disproportionately affects single-mother households
In 2022, many single mothers faced poverty, part time work, and childcare and housing challenges despite millions working.
Related reading
01 · Category
Poverty & Income2 stats
01
44% of single mothers with children under 18 were in poverty in 2019, compared with 21% of single fathers
02
In 2022, 30.3% of children living with a single mother were living in poverty
Interpretation
Poverty & Income Interpretation
Under the Poverty and Income category, the figures show that 44% of single mothers with children under 18 were in poverty in 2019, nearly double the 21% rate for single fathers, and by 2022 30.3% of children living with a single mother were also living in poverty.
02 · Category
Employment3 stats
01
5.9 million single mothers (single-parent families headed by women) with children under 18 were employed in 2022
02
In 2022, 13.4% of single mothers were not in the labor force
03
In 2022, 36.1% of single mothers were working part-time (less than 35 hours/week) or not full-time/year-round
Interpretation
Employment Interpretation
In 2022, while 5.9 million single mothers with children under 18 were employed, 36.1% were working part-time or not full-time year-round, showing that employment often does not translate into full-time stability for this group.
03 · Category
Time Use2 stats
01
Single mothers spent 1.4x as many hours on childcare as married-couple mothers in 2019 (median hours comparison, CPS Time Use Survey)
02
In 2019, single mothers spent 49.8% more time on unpaid care work than single fathers (childcare + housework time, CPS Time Use Survey)
Interpretation
Time Use Interpretation
In time use, single mothers in 2019 spent 1.4 times as many median hours on childcare as married-couple mothers and 49.8% more total time on unpaid care work than single fathers, highlighting a heavier day to day caregiving load.
04 · Category
Financial Resilience1 stats
01
In FY 2022, TANF served 2,046,000 families total (including single-mother families)
Interpretation
Financial Resilience Interpretation
In FY 2022, TANF served 2,046,000 families in total, showing a broad level of support for single mothers and strengthening their financial resilience.
05 · Category
Child Care1 stats
01
In 2022, the CCDF national average reimbursement rate was 73% of the estimated cost of care
Interpretation
Child Care Interpretation
In 2022, the CCDF national average reimbursement rate covered 73% of the estimated child care costs, showing that child care support still falls short of fully offsetting the price for single moms.
06 · Category
Technology & Media1 stats
01
Single mothers’ smartphone adoption reached 85% in 2023 (Pew Research Center survey of US adults)
Interpretation
Technology & Media Interpretation
In 2023, smartphone adoption among single mothers hit 85%, showing that this technology and media category is becoming fully mainstream in their day to day lives.
07 · Category
Consumer Behavior1 stats
01
In 2020, single mothers spent $1,200per year on child care and personal care services (US consumer expenditure survey, CPSCE tables)
Interpretation
Consumer Behavior Interpretation
In 2020, single mothers spent $1,200 per year on child care and personal care services, showing that their consumer behavior is heavily shaped by ongoing necessities tied directly to managing daily family needs.
08 · Category
Household Demographics1 stats
01
25.7% of children lived with a single mother (with no husband present) in 2022, according to the Census Bureau’s CPS ASEC estimates
Interpretation
Household Demographics Interpretation
In 2022, 25.7% of children lived with a single mother with no husband present, underscoring how common single-mother households are within overall household demographics.
More related reading
09 · Category
Income & Poverty2 stats
01
$2.1 billion in child support was distributed by state child support agencies in fiscal year 2022 (reflecting support collections on behalf of children in single-parent situations)
02
$72.0 billion in federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments supported people with disabilities and low income in FY 2022 (relevant for many single parents raising children with disability-related income support needs)
Interpretation
Income & Poverty Interpretation
In the Income & Poverty landscape for single moms, $2.1 billion in child support flowed through state agencies in FY 2022 while an additional $72.0 billion in federal SSI payments in the same year helped cushion the low income and disability-related needs that many single-parent families face.
10 · Category
Housing & Stability2 stats
01
14.7% of households with children experienced housing cost burden in 2022 (home costs consuming more than 30% of income), which disproportionately affects single-mother households
02
11.1% of households were behind on rent in 2022, a metric strongly associated with housing instability for single-mother families
Interpretation
Housing & Stability Interpretation
In 2022, housing cost burden hit 14.7% of households with children and fell most heavily on single-mother families, while 11.1% were behind on rent, underscoring how housing affordability pressures are driving instability in this category.
11 · Category
Employment & Work6 stats
01
2.7 million single mothers were living with children under 18 and worked at least some during 2022 (single-parent female-headed families with children, employed at least part of the year)
02
59.0% of employed single mothers were in the service-providing sector in 2022 (jobs distribution differs from married mothers and single fathers)
03
24.6% of single mothers who were working were in sales and office occupations in 2022 (composition of occupation categories for employed single mothers)
04
31.2% of employed single mothers were working in education and health services in 2022 (occupation-by-industry distribution for employed women with children)
05
12.3% of single mothers reported experiencing job displacement or layoffs in 2021 in a survey-based estimate from the Economic Policy Institute’s analysis of CPS microdata
06
14% of single mothers reported using remote work arrangements in 2021, according to a Job Openings and Labor Market analysis published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) working paper
Interpretation
Employment & Work Interpretation
In the Employment and Work category, working single mothers are concentrated in service related roles with 59.0% employed in the service-providing sector in 2022, while 12.3% reported job displacement or layoffs in 2021 and only 14% were able to use remote work arrangements, showing a mix of job concentration and vulnerability.
12 · Category
Childcare & Caregiving1 stats
01
25% of working-age single mothers with children under 6 were unable to access childcare when needed in 2021 based on the Urban Institute’s analysis of national survey data
Interpretation
Childcare & Caregiving Interpretation
In 2021, 25% of working-age single mothers with children under 6 could not access childcare when needed, underscoring a major gap in Childcare and Caregiving support.
13 · Category
Education & Parenting Support1 stats
01
34% of single mothers reported that school closures or disruptions affected their ability to work in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) analysis published by the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences
Interpretation
Education & Parenting Support Interpretation
With 34% of single mothers saying school closures or disruptions in 2021 hurt their ability to work, it underscores how crucial Education and Parenting Support is for reducing the real-life impacts of disrupted schooling on families.
14 · Category
Health & Benefits Access2 stats
01
8.0 million children received SNAP benefits in 2022, providing nutrition assistance for families including many single mothers
02
1 in 5 single parents reported difficulty accessing mental health services in 2022 in a survey summarized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) using US polling
Interpretation
Health & Benefits Access Interpretation
In the Health & Benefits Access category, 8.0 million children received SNAP benefits in 2022, and 1 in 5 single parents still reported difficulty accessing mental health services, showing that basic nutrition support can reach many families while mental health access remains a major gap.
15 · Category
Technology & Digital Access2 stats
01
73% of low-income mothers reported relying on smartphones to access information (messages, health info, job searches) in 2024, based on the Pew Research Center-linked reporting republished by a reputable partner dataset
02
$33.6 billion in venture-backed edtech funding was announced in 2022 in the US (technology-related resource environment relevant to remote learning supports used by single parents)
Interpretation
Technology & Digital Access Interpretation
In 2024, 73% of low income single mothers relied on smartphones for key online needs like health information and job searches, highlighting how digital access is already central to everyday survival even as US venture-backed edtech hit $33.6 billion in 2022 to support remote learning.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Single Mom Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/single-mom-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Single Mom Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/single-mom-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Single Mom Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/single-mom-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)