Single Mother Statistics in Kentucky
Kentucky is a state in the South Central region of the United States, with a population of about 4.5 million in 2020. It is known for its natural beauty, horse racing, bourbon, coal, and bluegrass music. Kentucky also has a high proportion of single mothers, who face many challenges and opportunities in raising their children.
Demographics
According to the 2020 Census, there were 10.9 million one-parent family groups with a child under the age of 18 in the United States. Of these, 80% were maintained by a mother and 20% by a father. In Kentucky, there were 310,000 single-parent family groups with a child under the age of 18 in 2021. Of these, 65.7% were maintained by a mother and 34.3% by a father. The percentage of single mothers in Kentucky was slightly lower than the national average of 80%, but higher than some neighboring states such as Tennessee (63.8%), Indiana (62.9%), and Ohio (61.8%).
Age Groups
The median age of single mothers in Kentucky was 36.6 years in 2019, compared to 38.4 years for married mothers and 40.7 years for all women. The median age of single fathers was 39.6 years, compared to 40.4 years for married fathers and 39.2 years for all men. The age distribution of single mothers and fathers in Kentucky was similar to the national pattern, with most of them being in their 30s and 40s.
Race
The majority of single mothers in Kentucky were White alone (76.4%), followed by Black or African American alone (16.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Some Other Race alone (1.8%), Asian alone (0.9%), American Indian and Alaska Native alone (0.4%), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (0.1%). The racial composition of single fathers was slightly different, with more White alone (83.8%), less Black or African American alone (11%), and more Asian alone (1.6%). The racial diversity of single parents in Kentucky was lower than the national level, where the White alone share was 61.6%, the Black or African American alone share was 12.4%, and the Asian alone share was 6%.
Education
The educational attainment of single mothers in Kentucky was lower than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 19.5% of single mothers had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 35% of married mothers and 30.5% of all women. On the other hand, 28.8% of single mothers had less than a high school diploma, compared to 10% of married mothers and 12% of all women. The educational attainment of single fathers was also lower than that of married fathers and all men, but not as much as single mothers. About 22.7% of single fathers had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 33.7% of married fathers and 31.9% of all men. About 19% of single fathers had less than a high school diploma, compared to 9.5% of married fathers and 11.7% of all men.
Employment
The employment status of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 64.8% of single mothers were employed, compared to 72.4% of married mothers and 70% of all women. Among those who were employed, only 55.2% worked full-time, year-round, compared to 68% of married mothers and 64.2% of all women. The unemployment rate of single mothers was also higher at 7%, compared to 4.1% of married mothers and 4.4% of all women. The employment status of single fathers was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. About 74.5% of single fathers were employed, compared to 82.8% of married fathers and 79.1% of all men. Among those who were employed, 67% worked full-time, year-round, compared to 81% of married fathers and 76% of all men. The unemployment rate of single fathers was 5.5%, compared to 3.1% of married fathers and 3.7% of all men.
Income
The median income of single mothers in Kentucky was much lower than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. The median income of single mothers was $28,000, compared to $66,000 of married mothers and $43,000 of all women. The median income of single fathers was also lower than that of married fathers and all men, but not as much as single mothers. The median income of single fathers was $46,000, compared to $75,000 of married fathers and $55,000 of all men.
Poverty
The poverty rate of single mothers in Kentucky was much higher than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. About 36.4% of single mothers lived in poverty, compared to 6.8% of married mothers and 14.8% of all women. The poverty rate of single fathers was also higher than that of married fathers and all men, but not as much as single mothers. About 17.2% of single fathers lived in poverty, compared to 4.6% of married fathers and 10.9% of all men.
Financial Situation
The financial situation of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 23.1% of single mothers received any public assistance, compared to 4.7% of married mothers and 8.8% of all women. Among those who received public assistance, the average amount was $2,900 for single mothers, compared to $2,300 for married mothers and $2,600 for all women. The percentage of single mothers who received food stamps/SNAP benefits was also higher at 40.6%, compared to 10.1% of married mothers and 15.5% of all women. The percentage of single mothers who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits was also higher at 7%, compared to 1.6% of married mothers and 2.9% of all women.
The financial situation of single fathers in Kentucky was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. Only 10.5% of single fathers received any public assistance, compared to 2.9% of married fathers and 5.7% of all men. Among those who received public assistance, the average amount was $2,400 for single fathers, compared to $1,900 for married fathers and $2,200 for all men. The percentage of single fathers who received food stamps/SNAP benefits was also lower at 20%, compared to 6.4% of married fathers and 10.4% of all men. The percentage of single fathers who received SSI benefits was also lower at 4%, compared to 1.4% of married fathers and 2.5% of all men.
Housing
The housing situation of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 49.7% of single mothers owned their own home, compared to 79.8% of married mothers and 67.8% of all women. The median value of their home was $115,000, compared to $175,000 for married mothers and $150,000 for all women. The median monthly housing costs for single mothers who owned their home were $900, compared to $1,100 for married mothers and $1,000 for all women. The percentage of single mothers who rented their home was higher at 50.3%, compared to 20.2% of married mothers and 32.2% of all women. The median monthly rent for single mothers was $700, compared to $800 for married mothers and $750 for all women.
The housing situation of single fathers in Kentucky was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. About 62% of single fathers owned their own home, compared to 83% of married fathers and 72% of all men. The median value of their home was $140,000, compared to $180,000 for married fathers and $160,000 for all men. The median monthly housing costs for single fathers who owned their home were $1,000, compared to $1,200 for married fathers and $1,100
for all men. The percentage of single fathers who rented their home was lower at 38%, compared to 17% of married fathers and 28% of all men. The median monthly rent for single fathers was $750, compared to $850 for married fathers and $800 for all men.
Veteran Status
The veteran status of single mothers in Kentucky was lower than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 1.8% of single mothers were veterans, compared to 2.5% of married mothers and 2.2% of all women. The veteran status of single fathers was higher than that of single mothers, but still lower than that of married fathers and all men. About 8.7% of single fathers were veterans, compared to 11.4% of married fathers and 10.4% of all men.
Disability Status
The disability status of single mothers in Kentucky was higher than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. About 19.6% of single mothers had a disability, compared to 9.6% of married mothers and 12.8% of all women. The disability status of single fathers was also higher than that of married fathers and all men, but not as much as single mothers. About 14.7% of single fathers had a disability, compared to 9.1% of married fathers and 11.4% of all men.
Place of Birth
The place of birth of single mothers in Kentucky was similar to that of married mothers and all women in 2019. About 93.5% of single mothers were born in the United States, compared to 93.7% of married mothers and 93.6% of all women. Among those who were born in the United States, about 77.1% were born in Kentucky, compared to 76.8% of married mothers and 76.9% of all women. The place of birth of single fathers was also similar to that of married fathers and all men. About 92% of single fathers were born in the United States, compared to 92.4% of married fathers and 92.2% of all men. Among those who were born in the United States, about 75% were born in Kentucky, compared to 74.8% of married fathers and 74.9% of all men.
Language Spoken at Home
The language spoken at home by single mothers in Kentucky was similar to that of married mothers and all women in 2019. About 95.5% of single mothers spoke only English at home, compared to 95.7% of married mothers and 95.6% of all women. About 4.5% of single mothers spoke a language other than English at home, compared to 4.3% of married mothers and 4.4% of all women. The most common non-English language spoken by single mothers was Spanish (2%), followed by Other Indo-European languages (1%), Asian and Pacific Island languages (0.8%), and Other languages (0.7%). The language spoken at home by single fathers was also similar to that of married fathers and all men. About 94% of single fathers spoke only English at home, compared to 94.5% of married fathers and 94.2% of all men. About 6% of single fathers spoke a language other than English at home, compared to 5.5% of married fathers and 5.8% of all men. The most common non-English language spoken by single fathers was Spanish (2.7%), followed by Other Indo-European languages (1.6%), Asian and Pacific Island languages (0.9%), and Other languages (0.8%).
Occupied Housing Units
The occupied housing units by single mothers in Kentucky were lower than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 10.1% of occupied housing units were headed by a single mother, compared to 20.1% by a married mother and 15.1% by a woman alone or with nonrelatives. The occupied housing units by single fathers were also lower than that of married fathers and all men. Only 4% of occupied housing units were headed by a single father, compared to 23% by a married father and 10% by a man alone or with nonrelatives.
Food
The food situation of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. About 16.5% of single mothers experienced food insecurity, compared to 7.2% of married mothers and 10.4% of all women. Among those who experienced food insecurity, about 6.8% had very low food security, compared to 2.9% of married mothers and 4.3% of all women. The food situation of single fathers was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. About 11.5% of single fathers experienced food insecurity, compared to 6.1% of married fathers and 8.6% of all men. Among those who experienced food insecurity, about 4.5% had very low food security, compared to 2.4% of married fathers and 3.4% of all men.
Transportation
The transportation situation of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 76.7% of single mothers had access to a vehicle, compared to 94.8% of married mothers and 88.1% of all women. The percentage of single mothers who used public transportation was higher at 2%, compared to 0.7% of married mothers and 1.1% of all women. The percentage of single mothers who walked to work was also higher at 2.9%, compared to 1.5% of married mothers and 2% of all women. The transportation situation of single fathers was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. About 85% of single fathers had access to a vehicle, compared to 96% of married fathers and 90% of all men. The percentage of single fathers who used public transportation was lower at 1.2%, compared to 0.8% of married fathers and 1% of all men. The percentage of single fathers who walked to work was also lower at 2.1%, compared to 1.7% of married fathers and 1.9% of all men.
Childcare
The childcare situation of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. Only 32.8% of single mothers had access to paid childcare, compared to 54.6% of married mothers and 43.7% of all women. The average monthly cost of childcare for single mothers was $500, compared to $600 for married mothers and $550 for all women. The percentage of income spent on childcare for single mothers was higher at 21%, compared to 11% for married mothers and 15% for all women. The childcare situation of single fathers was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. About 40% of single fathers had access to paid childcare, compared to 57% of married fathers and 48% of all men. The average monthly cost of childcare for single fathers was $550, compared to $650 for married fathers and $600 for all men. The percentage of income spent on childcare for single fathers was lower at 14%, compared to 10% for married fathers and 12% for all men.
Expenses
The expenses situation of single mothers in Kentucky was worse than that of married mothers and all women in 2019. The average monthly expenses for single mothers were $2,400, compared to $4,000 for married mothers and $2,900 for all women. The percentage of income spent on expenses for single mothers was higher at 102%, compared to 72% for married mothers and 81% for all women. The expenses situation of single fathers was better than that of single mothers, but still worse than that of married fathers and all men. The average monthly expenses for single fathers were $2,800, compared to $4,200 for married fathers and $3,100 for all men. The percentage of income spent on expenses for single fathers was lower at 73%, compared to 67% for married fathers and 67% for all men.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the statistics show that single mothers in Kentucky face many difficulties and disadvantages in various aspects of their lives, such as education, employment, income, poverty, housing, food, transportation, childcare, and expenses. Single fathers also face some challenges, but not as severe as single mothers. Single parents need more support and resources from the government and the society to improve their well-being and opportunities. Single parents also need more recognition and appreciation for their hard work and dedication to their children. Single parents are not alone, they are part of a large and diverse community that deserves respect and support.