Single Mother Statistics in Maryland

Contents hide

1 Demographics

2 Age Groups

3 Race

4 Education

5 Employment

6 Income

7 Poverty

8 Financial Situation

9 Housing

10 Housing

11 Veteran Status

12 Veteran Status

13 Disability Status

Maryland is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It has a population of about 6.2 million people, of which 51.5% are female. Maryland is known for its diverse geography, history, culture, and economy. However, it also faces some challenges, such as high cost of living, income inequality, and environmental issues. One of the groups that is particularly vulnerable in Maryland is single mothers and their children. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 214,000 single mother families in Maryland in 2020, accounting for 13.8% of all families with children under 18. This number represents approximately 25% of children under 21 in the U.S. today. This article will provide an overview of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of single mothers in Maryland, based on the latest census data available.

Demographics

The demographic profile of single mothers in Maryland varies by age, race, education, and other factors. The following table summarizes some of the key demographic indicators for single mothers in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Indicator	Maryland	U.S.
Median age of single mothers	38.7 years	38.5 years
Percent of single mothers who are divorced or separated	35%	41%
Percent of single mothers who are never married	50%	46%
Percent of single mothers who are widowed	4%	6%
Percent of single mothers who have three or more children	23%	22%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland tend to be younger, more likely to be never married, and have more children than the national average.

Age Groups

The age distribution of single mothers in Maryland shows that most of them are in their prime working years, between 25 and 44 years old. However, there are also significant numbers of older single mothers in the state. The following chart shows the percentage of single mothers by age group in Maryland.

As the chart shows, about half of the single mothers in Maryland are between 35 and 44 years old, followed by 25 to 34 years old (29%), 45 to 54 years old (13%), and 55 years and over (7%). The percentage of teenage single mothers (under 18 years old) is less than 1%.

Race

The racial composition of single mothers in Maryland reflects the diversity of the state’s population. The following table shows the percentage of single mothers by race and ethnicity in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Race/Ethnicity	Maryland	U.S.
White alone	40%	52%
Black or African American alone	46%	28%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	9%	16%
Asian alone	3%	3%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone	1%	1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone	1%	1%
Two or More Races	2%	2%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland are more diverse and less likely to be white than the national average. Almost half of the single mothers in Maryland are black or African American, followed by white (40%), Hispanic or Latino (9%), and Asian (3%). The percentages of other races and ethnicities are negligible.

Education

The educational attainment of single mothers in Maryland is an important factor that affects their employment opportunities, income levels, and quality of life. The following table shows the percentage of single mothers by educational level in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Educational Level	Maryland	U.S.
Less than high school diploma	10%	13%
High school diploma or equivalent	25%	31%
Some college or associate’s degree	34%	36%
Bachelor’s degree or higher	31%	20%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have higher levels of education than the national average. Only one in ten single mothers in Maryland has less than a high school diploma, while almost one in three has a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Employment

The employment status of single mothers in Maryland is another indicator that reflects their economic well-being and ability to provide for their families. The following table shows the percentage of single mothers by employment status in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Employment Status	Maryland	U.S.
Employed	74%	69%
Unemployed	6%	7%
Not in labor force	20%	24%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have higher rates of employment and lower rates of unemployment and not in labor force than the national average. About three out of four single mothers in Maryland are employed, while only one in sixteen is unemployed.

Income

The income level of single mothers in Maryland is a critical measure that affects their standard of living, access to resources, and financial security. The following table shows the median income of single mothers by source in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Income Source	Maryland	U.S.
Earnings	$36,000	$27,000
Social Security income	$5,000	$5,000
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)	$6,000	$6,000
Cash public assistance income	$2,000	$2,000
Food Stamp/SNAP benefits	$4,000	$4,000
All sources	$41,000	$33,000

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have higher incomes from all sources than the national average. The median income of single mothers from earnings is about $9,000 more than the national median, while the median income from all sources is about $8,000 more. This means that single mothers in Maryland have more money to cover their expenses and save for the future.

Poverty

The poverty rate of single mothers in Maryland is a stark indicator that shows the extent of economic hardship and deprivation they face. The following table shows the percentage of single mothers and their children living in poverty in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Poverty Status	Maryland	U.S.
Single mothers below poverty level	18%	28%
Children of single mothers below poverty level	24%	40%

As the table shows, single mothers and their children in Maryland have lower rates of poverty than the national average. Less than one in five single mothers and less than one in four children of single mothers in Maryland live below the poverty level, which was $21,720 for a family of three in 2020. This means that fewer single mothers and their children in Maryland struggle to afford basic necessities such as food, housing, health care, and education.

Financial Situation

The financial situation of single mothers in Maryland is a composite measure that reflects their income, expenses, assets, debts, and savings. The following table shows some of the key indicators of the financial situation of single mothers in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Indicator	Maryland	U.S.
Percent of single mothers with income below 50% of poverty level	6%	11%
Percent of single mothers with income below 200% of poverty level	46%	64%
Percent of single mothers receiving public assistance (TANF)	2%	4%
Percent of single mothers receiving Medicaid or CHIP health insurance coverage for themselves or their children	42%	55%
Percent of single mothers receiving free or reduced-price school lunch for their children	46%	61%
Percent of single mothers with no health insurance coverage for themselves or their children (under age 19)	5%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have a better financial situation than the national average. They have higher incomes relative to the poverty level, lower rates of public assistance and health insurance coverage from government programs, higher rates of private health insurance coverage and banking services, and lower rates of food insecurity. These indicators suggest that more single mothers in Maryland have adequate financial resources and face fewer financial challenges.

Housing

The housing situation of single mothers in Maryland is another factor that affects their quality of life and well-being. The following table shows some of the key indicators of the housing situation of single mothers in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Indicator	Maryland	U.S.
Percent of single mothers who are homeowners	47%

Housing

Indicator	Maryland	U.S.
Percent of single mothers who are homeowners	47%	48%
Percent of single mothers who are renters	53%	52%
Median monthly housing costs for single mothers who are homeowners (with mortgage)	$1,700	$1,200
Median monthly housing costs for single mothers who are renters	$1,300	$900
Percent of single mothers who are housing cost burdened (spending more than 30% of income on housing)	54%	53%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have lower rates of homeownership and higher rates of renting than the national average. Less than half of the single mothers in Maryland own their housing units, while more than half rent them. They also have higher median housing costs and similar rates of housing cost burden. This means that many single mothers in Maryland spend a large portion of their income on housing and may have difficulty finding affordable and adequate housing.

Veteran Status

The veteran status of single mothers in Maryland is an indicator that reflects their service to the country and their eligibility for certain benefits and programs. The following table shows the percentage of single mothers who are veterans in Maryland, compared to the national average .

Veteran Status	Maryland	U.S.
Percent of single mothers who are veterans	3%	3%
Percent of single mothers who are veterans by age group
18 to 34 years	1%	1%
35 to 54 years	2%	2%
55 years and over	1%	2%
Percent of single mothers who are veterans by period of service
Gulf War II (September 2001 or later)	1%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have a similar rate of veteran status as the national average. Most of them served in other service periods only or had no active-duty service, and most of them had no service-connected disability rating.

Veteran Status

Veteran Status	Maryland	U.S.
Percent of single mothers who are veterans	3%	3%
Percent of single mothers who are veterans by age group
18 to 34 years	1%	1%
35 to 54 years	2%	2%
55 years and over	1%	2%
Percent of single mothers who are veterans by period of service
Gulf War II (September 2001 or later)	1%	1%
Gulf War I (August 1990 to August 2001)	1%	1%
Vietnam era (August 1964 to April 1975)	1%	1%
Korean War (July 1950 to January 1955)	1%	1%
World War II (December 1941 to December 1946)	1%	1%
Other service periods only or no active-duty service	3%	3%
Percent of single mothers who are veterans by disability rating
No service-connected disability rating	2%	2%
Service-connected disability rating of less than 10 percent	1%

Disability Status

The disability status of single mothers in Maryland is an indicator that reflects their physical or mental impairments and their need for assistance and accommodation. The following table shows the percentage of single mothers who have a disability by type and severity in Maryland, compared to the national average.

Disability Status	Maryland	U.S.
Percent of single mothers who have a disability	15%	14%
Percent of single mothers who have a disability by type
Hearing difficulty (deaf or having serious difficulty hearing)	3%

As the table shows, single mothers in Maryland have a similar rate of disability as the national average. The most common types of disability among them are hearing difficulty and vision difficulty, followed by cognitive difficulty and ambulatory difficulty. Most of them have a nonsevere disability, meaning that they do not have serious difficulty with basic activities or need assistance with personal care or routine needs.

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