Forty-eight percent of single mothers said they could not pay housing costs in the past 12 months, even as 74 percent are in the labor force. Those pressures show up across income, child care access, health, and stress, with big gaps compared with married mothers and two-parent households. Here’s a clear look at the statistics behind what that everyday strain can mean.
Key Takeaways
- 41.2% of households with children under age 18 were headed by a single parent in 2023
- In 2023, the median income of single-mother families was $46,000 (U.S.)
- In 2023, the median income for single-mother families was 59% of the median income for married-couple families (U.S.)
- In 2022, the poverty rate for female-headed households with children under 18 was 19.5% (U.S.)
- In FFY 2023, CCDF expenditures totaled $8.2 billion (U.S.)
- In 2023, 40 states and DC offered child care subsidies based on income eligibility at or above 200% of the federal poverty guideline (CCDF)
- In 2022, 34% of parents who needed child care experienced at least one access barrier, including cost or availability (U.S.)
- In 2023, single mothers’ median hourly wage was $20.10 (U.S.)
- In 2023, single mothers’ labor force participation rate was 74.1% (U.S.)
- In 2022, 25% of single mothers were working in sales and office occupations (U.S.)
- In 2022, 8.6% of single mothers were uninsured (U.S.)
- In 2022, 21.3% of single mothers reported fair or poor health (U.S.)
- In 2022, single mothers’ rates of high stress (top quartile) were 1.4x higher than married mothers (U.S.)
- 48% of single mothers reported they had been unable to pay for housing costs in the past 12 months (U.S.)
- 44% of single-mother households were cost-burdened by housing (paying more than 30% of income on housing) in 2022 (U.S.)
In the US, single mothers face higher poverty and stress, with childcare and housing costs often blocking stable work and education.
Related reading
01 · Category
Household Structure1 stats
01
41.2% of households with children under age 18 were headed by a single parent in 2023
Interpretation
Household Structure Interpretation
In the Household Structure landscape, 41.2% of households with children under 18 were headed by a single parent in 2023, showing how common single-parent families are within this category.
02 · Category
Income & Poverty5 stats
01
In 2023, the median income of single-mother families was $46,000(U.S.)
02
In 2023, the median income for single-mother families was 59% of the median income for married-couple families (U.S.)
03
In 2022, the poverty rate for female-headed households with children under 18 was 19.5% (U.S.)
04
In 2023, unemployment benefits were received by 7.3% of single mothers who were unemployed (U.S.)
05
In 2021 (latest OECD comparative data), single parents had a poverty rate of 13.3% after taxes and transfers (OECD average)
Interpretation
Income & Poverty Interpretation
The income and poverty picture for single mothers remains significantly weaker than for other family types, with median income at $46,000 in 2023 and just 59% of married-couple levels, while poverty still affects 19.5% of female-headed households with children under 18 in 2022 and unemployment benefits reach only 7.3% of unemployed single mothers in 2023.
03 · Category
Childcare & Support5 stats
01
In FFY 2023, CCDF expenditures totaled $8.2 billion (U.S.)
02
In 2023, 40 states and DC offered child care subsidies based on income eligibility at or above 200% of the federal poverty guideline (CCDF)
03
In 2022, 34% of parents who needed child care experienced at least one access barrier, including cost or availability (U.S.)
04
In 2021, $3.2 billion of child support collections were distributed to families living below the poverty line (U.S.)
05
In 2022, 46% of single parents reported that child care cost was a barrier to work or education (U.S.)
Interpretation
Childcare & Support Interpretation
Across Childcare and Support needs, the data shows how costly and limited child care remains a major obstacle, with 46% of single parents reporting child care cost as a barrier to work or education in 2022 and 34% of parents who needed care facing at least one access barrier in 2022, even as CCDF expenditures reached $8.2 billion in FFY 2023.
04 · Category
Employment & Education8 stats
01
In 2023, single mothers’ median hourly wage was $20.10(U.S.)
02
In 2023, single mothers’ labor force participation rate was 74.1% (U.S.)
03
In 2022, 25% of single mothers were working in sales and office occupations (U.S.)
04
In 2023, the high school graduation rate was 91% for single mothers’ households (U.S.)
05
In 2021, 47% of single mothers reported needing education or training to improve job prospects (survey, U.S.)
06
In 2022, 15% of single mothers were enrolled in school or training (U.S.)
07
In 2022, single mothers had a 19% wage gap relative to married mothers with comparable education (U.S.)
08
In 2023, 56% of single mothers reported work schedules were difficult to manage due to unpredictable hours (U.S.)
Interpretation
Employment & Education Interpretation
Under the Employment and Education angle, the data suggests that while single mothers are highly active in the labor force at 74.1% and earn a median hourly wage of $20.10, nearly half report needing education or training (47% in 2021) and over half struggle with unpredictable schedules (56% in 2023), indicating that barriers beyond schooling are still limiting job stability.
More related reading
05 · Category
Health & Wellbeing8 stats
01
In 2022, 8.6% of single mothers were uninsured (U.S.)
02
In 2022, 21.3% of single mothers reported fair or poor health (U.S.)
03
In 2022, single mothers’ rates of high stress (top quartile) were 1.4x higher than married mothers (U.S.)
04
In 2021, single parents had higher rates of postpartum depression (adjusted odds ratio 1.8) compared with two-parent households (peer-reviewed study)
05
In 2020, children in single-mother families had a 1.3x higher likelihood of being diagnosed with attention-related disorders (U.S., population study)
06
In 2018, caregivers in single-parent households reported 2.2x higher rates of caregiving stress compared with other household types (peer-reviewed study)
07
36% of single mothers reported elevated stress levels compared with their own prior experiences (U.S.)
08
24% of single-mother respondents reported experiencing depression symptoms in the last two weeks (U.S.)
Interpretation
Health & Wellbeing Interpretation
In the Health and Wellbeing data, single mothers show notably worse self and family health outcomes, including 21.3% reporting fair or poor health in 2022 and stress that is 1.4 times higher than married mothers, alongside depression symptoms reported by 24% and elevated stress reported by 36%.
06 · Category
Housing & Supports3 stats
01
48% of single mothers reported they had been unable to pay for housing costs in the past 12 months (U.S.)
02
44% of single-mother households were cost-burdened by housing (paying more than 30% of income on housing) in 2022 (U.S.)
03
1.2 million children in the U.S. were living in single-mother households relying on public assistance programs in 2023 (U.S.)
Interpretation
Housing & Supports Interpretation
In the Housing and Supports category, nearly half of single mothers in the U.S. struggled to pay housing costs in the past 12 months, while 44% were cost burdened in 2022 and about 1.2 million children lived in single-mother households relying on public assistance in 2023.
07 · Category
Demographics & Education1 stats
01
74% of single mothers in the U.S. are in the labor force (2023 estimate) — share working or actively seeking work
Interpretation
Demographics & Education Interpretation
In the Demographics and Education area, the fact that 74% of single mothers in the U.S. are in the labor force in 2023 shows that most are actively working or looking for work, underscoring how education and employment opportunities are tightly linked for this group.
08 · Category
Childcare & Work1 stats
01
39% of single mothers report that childcare affects their ability to work full time (U.S.)
Interpretation
Childcare & Work Interpretation
In the U.S., 39% of single mothers say childcare affects their ability to work full time, showing that childcare barriers are a major obstacle to steady full-time employment under the Childcare and Work category.
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
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Single Mother Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/single-mother-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Single Mother Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/single-mother-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Single Mother Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/single-mother-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)