The Rise of Single Fathers

The Pew Research Center reported on the rise of the single father rates. Apparently, the number has increase as much as 9 times in the last 5 or 6 decades, or since 1960. 8% of the households with minor children in the United States has a father as a sole head of the household.

It was only 1% in 1960. This is based on the analysis done by the Pew Research Center through the Decennial Census and American Community Survey data.

The report stated, “The number of single father households has increased about ninefold since 1960, from less than 300,000 to more than 2.6 million in 2011. In comparison, the number of single mother households increased more than fourfold during that time period, up to 8.6 million in 2011, from 1.9 million in 1960.”

That makes for more men as the heads of single parent households with a drastic increased in their numbers. There are still differences between the single mothers and the single fathers out there.

“Single fathers are more likely than single mothers to be living with a cohabiting partner (41% versus 16%). Single fathers, on average, have higher incomes than single mothers and are far less likely to be living at or below the poverty line—24% versus 43%,” the report explained, “Single fathers are also somewhat less educated than single mothers, older and more likely to be white.”

The single fathers tend to be younger while also less educated and financially less well off than their women single parent counterparts; their single mother counterparts. The fathers were men aged 15 and older, so quite young all the way to the much older.

“Fathers who are living in a household headed by someone else are excluded from the analysis, as are fathers whose children are not living with them,” the article stated, “The term ‘single father’ includes men in a variety of family circumstances.”

Half of them are divorced, separated, widowed, or never married. They are not living with a cohabiting partner either. About 40% or 2/5ths are living with a non-marital partner. One small share of them are married while also living away from their spouse.

The article continued, “Cohabiting single fathers are particularly disadvantaged on most socio-economic indicators. They are younger, less educated and more likely to be living in poverty than are fathers who are raising children without a spouse or partner in the household.”

About 2/3rds of the houses in the United States with children have two married parents, which is a drastic decline from the 9/10ths seen in 1960. There seem to be a number of factors associated with the decline in the number of married parent households.

The big one is the significant increase in the number of non-marital births. This may mean that marriage has less of a pull for the current generations compared for the several decades prior generations, where each subsequent generation saw marriage as less integral to the basis of having a child in the first place.

“And even though divorce rates have leveled off in recent decades, they remain higher than they were in the 1960s and 1970s,” the article explained, “Some experts suggest that changes in the legal system have led to more opportunities for fathers to gain at least partial custody of children in the event of a breakup, as well.”

A change or alteration in the standard gender roles is important to consider as well. Men are not only see as breadwinners. Women are not only seen as child caregivers. Women are further along in the dual-basis of a full life with childcare and work; whereas, men are getting there, but slower.

The reportage continued, “Analysis of long-term time use data shows that fathers are narrowing the still sizable gap with mothers in the amount of time they spend with their children. And Pew Research surveys find that the public believes that a father’s greatest role is to provide values to his children, followed by emotional support, discipline and income support.”

When it comes to the specific characteristics or traits of the single fathers, they are like the single mothers in being less educated and not as well-off. They are younger and tend to be less white. The single father households are better off financially in contrast to the single mother households.

About 2/3rds of the houses in the United States with children have two married parents, which is a drastic decline from the 9/10ths seen in 1960. There seem to be a number of factors associated with the decline in the number of married parent households.

The big one is the significant increase in the number of non-marital births. This may mean that marriage has less of a pull for the current generations compared for the several decades prior generations, where each subsequent generation saw marriage as less integral to the basis of having a child in the first place.

“And even though divorce rates have leveled off in recent decades, they remain higher than they were in the 1960s and 1970s,” the article explained, “Some experts suggest that changes in the legal system have led to more opportunities for fathers to gain at least partial custody of children in the event of a breakup, as well.”

A change or alteration in the standard gender roles is important to consider as well. Men are not only see as breadwinners. Women are not only seen as child caregivers. Women are further along in the dual-basis of a full life with childcare and work; whereas, men are getting there, but slower.

The reportage continued, “Analysis of long-term time use data shows that fathers are narrowing the still sizable gap with mothers in the amount of time they spend with their children. And Pew Research surveys find that the public believes that a father’s greatest role is to provide values to his children, followed by emotional support, discipline and income support.”

When it comes to the specific characteristics or traits of the single fathers, they are like the single mothers in being less educated and not as well-off. They are younger and tend to be less white. The single father households are better off financially in contrast to the single mother households.

The single fathers are much younger than the married fathers while also older than the single mothers. For example, only 8% of the married fathers are young than 30 years old. The number of much different for the single fathers and the single mothers – 18% and 23%, respectively.

However, 47% of the single fathers are over 40 years or older. This becomes 59% for married fathers and 38% for single mothers. It is a much different story for each demographic.

“Single father householders are more likely to be white than single mother householders, but less likely to be white than married father householders. Just over half (56%) of single fathers are white, as are 45% of single mothers and two-thirds (66%) of married fathers,” Pew Research Center elaborated.

Single fathers are less likely to be black at 15%, especially compared to black single mothers (28%). Hispanic single mothers is about 22% and the Hispanic single fathers is about 24%, about parity in fact.

The report continued, “The educational attainment of single father householders is markedly lower than that of married father householders. About one-fifth (19%) of single dads lack a high school diploma, while just 10% of married fathers lack one.”

The single mothers have it at about 15%.  The Median annual adjusted income for the single fathers is $40,000 and for the single mothers it is $26,000. This compares starkly with the $70,000 of the households headed by the married fathers.

“The same pattern is reflected in poverty status across these household types. Almost one-fourth (24%) of single father households are living at or below the poverty level, compared with just 8% of married father households and fully 43% of single mother households,” the Pew Research Center explained.

The number of single fathers continues to decline with age. However, most younger single fathers will be cohabiting, for example. Poverty is a high positive correlate. If someone is a single father, or a single mother for that matter, then will quite likely be a poor or in the poverty line as well.

“Since 1990, the Census Bureau has collected data not only on the marital status of household heads, but also information regarding whether the head was living with a non-marital partner. This allows for a further differentiation of single fathers—those who have no spouse or partner living with them and those who are cohabiting,” the reportage continued.

The big rise in the single father rates, about 8 or 9 fold, leads to higher rates of poverty among the single fathers themselves and their families, but, even so, those men tend to be far poorer than their counterparts who are married across ethnicities but also richer than their single mother comparisons.