Single Mother Statistics in South Dakota
Introduction
South Dakota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. It has a population of about 910,000 people, of which 49.1% are female. South Dakota is one of the states with the lowest percentage of households led by a single mother with children under age 18 living in the household, at 2.46% in 2021. This article will explore the characteristics and challenges of single mother households in South Dakota, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources.
Demographics
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 10.9 million one-parent family groups with a child under the age of 18 in the United States in 2022, of which 80% were maintained by a mother. In South Dakota, there were about 22,000 one-parent family groups with a child under the age of 18 in 2022, of which 77% were maintained by a mother. This means that there were about 17,000 single mother households in South Dakota in 2022, accounting for about 5% of all households in the state.
Age Groups
The median age of single mothers in South Dakota was 36.7 years in 2022, slightly higher than the median age of all females in the state (36.4 years). The majority of single mothers in South Dakota were in the age group of 25 to 44 years (60%), followed by the age group of 45 to 64 years (25%), and the age group of 15 to 24 years (11%). The remaining 4% of single mothers were aged 65 years and over.
Race
The racial composition of single mothers in South Dakota was diverse, reflecting the diversity of the state’s population. In 2022, about 67% of single mothers in South Dakota were white, 23% were American Indian and Alaska Native, 5% were two or more races, 3% were Hispanic or Latino, and 2% were black or African American. The percentages of Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander single mothers were negligible.
Marital Status
The marital status of single mothers in South Dakota was mostly never married or divorced, compared to that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 48% of single mothers aged 15 years and over were never married, compared to 24% of all females aged 15 years and over. About 38% of single mothers aged 15 years and over were divorced, compared to 12% of all females aged 15 years and over. About 11% of single mothers aged 15 years and over were separated, compared to 2% of all females aged 15 years and over. About 3% of single mothers aged 15 years and over were widowed, compared to 9% of all females aged 15 years and over. The marital status of single mothers affects their economic and social well-being, as well as their children’s outcomes.
Family Structure
The family structure of single mother households in South Dakota was mostly composed of one child, compared to that of all households in the state. In 2022, about 57% of single mother households had one child under the age of 18 living in the household, compared to 37% of all households. About 29% of single mother households had two children under the age of 18 living in the household, compared to 28% of all households. About 12% of single mother households had three or more children under the age of 18 living in the household, compared to 10% of all households. The family structure of single mother households affects their income, expenses, and needs.
Civic Engagement
The civic engagement of single mothers in South Dakota was relatively low, compared to that of all females in the state. In 2020, about 55% of single mothers aged 18 years and over reported that they voted in the presidential election, compared to 69% of all females aged 18 years and over. In 2019, about 17% of single mothers aged 16 years and over volunteered for or through an organization, compared to 32% of all females aged 16 years and over. In 2018, about 14% of single mothers aged 25 years and over had contacted or visited a public official, compared to 23% of all females aged 25 years and over. The civic engagement of single mothers affects their political representation, social participation, and community empowerment.
Education
The educational attainment of single mothers in South Dakota was lower than that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 88% of single mothers aged 25 years and over had at least a high school diploma or equivalent, compared to 93% of all females aged 25 years and over. About 23% of single mothers aged 25 years and over had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 31% of all females aged 25 years and over. The educational attainment of single mothers affects their employment opportunities, income level, and skill development.
Employment
The employment status of single mothers in South Dakota was also lower than that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 64% of single mothers aged 16 years and over were in the civilian labor force, compared to 70% of all females aged 16 years and over. About 58% of single mothers aged 16 years and over were employed, compared to 65% of all females aged 16 years and over. The unemployment rate for single mothers aged 16 years and over was 9%, higher than that for all females aged 16 years and over (7%). The employment status of single mothers affects their income, benefits, and work-life balance.
Income
The income level of single mothers in South Dakota was significantly lower than that of all households in the state. In 2022, the median household income for single mother households was $31,400, compared to $60,900 for all households. The mean household income for single mother households was $40,300, compared to $80,600 for all households.
Poverty
The poverty rate for single mother households in South Dakota was extremely high, compared to that for all households in the state. In 2022, about 30% of single mother households were below the poverty level, compared to 10% of all households. The poverty threshold for a family of three with one child under 18 years was $21,960 in 2022.
Financial Situation
The financial situation of single mother households in South Dakota was precarious, as they faced many expenses and challenges. In 2022, about 41% of single mother households received food stamps/SNAP benefits, compared to 10% of all households. About 18% of single mother households received cash public assistance income, compared to 3% of all households. About 22% of single mother households received Supplemental Security Income (SSI), compared to 6% of all households1. About 28% of single mother households had no health insurance coverage, compared to 9% of all households.
Housing
The housing situation of single mother households in South Dakota was also challenging, as they faced high housing costs and low homeownership rates. In 2022, the median monthly housing costs for single mother households who owned their homes with a mortgage was $1,100, compared to $1,300 for all households who owned their homes with a mortgage. The median monthly housing costs for single mother households who rented their homes was $800, compared to $750 for all households who rented their homes. The homeownership rate for single mother households was 51%, compared to 68% for all households.
Veteran Status
The veteran status of single mothers in South Dakota was relatively low, compared to that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 2% of single mothers aged 18 years and over were veterans, compared to 4% of all females aged 18 years and over.
Disability Status
The disability status of single mothers in South Dakota was relatively high, compared to that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 13% of single mothers aged under 65 years had a disability, compared to 9% of all females aged under 65 years.
Place of Birth
The place of birth of single mothers in South Dakota was mostly within the United States, compared to that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 95% of single mothers were born in the United States, compared to 96% of all females. About 3% of single mothers were foreign born, compared to 4% of all females.
Language Spoken at Home
The language spoken at home by single mothers in South Dakota was mostly English, compared to that of all females in the state. In 2022, about 94% of single mothers aged 5 years and over spoke only English at home, compared to 91% of all females aged 5 years and over. About 6% of single mothers aged 5 years and over spoke a language other than English at home, compared to 9% of all females aged 5 years and over. The most common non-English languages spoken by single mothers at home were Spanish (2%), German (1%), and Sioux (1%). The language spoken at home by single mothers affects their communication, integration, and cultural identity.
Occupied Housing Units
The occupied housing units of single mother households in South Dakota were mostly detached single-family homes, compared to that of all households in the state. In 2022, about 69% of occupied housing units of single mother households were detached single-family homes, compared to 74% of occupied housing units of all households. About 16% of occupied housing units of single mother households were apartments or other units in structures with 5 or more units, compared to 11% of occupied housing units of all households. The remaining 15% of occupied housing units of single mother households were other types of housing units, such as mobile homes, townhouses, duplexes, etc.
Food
The food situation of single mother households in South Dakota was often insecure, as they faced food insufficiency and low access to healthy food options. According to the Household Pulse Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 13% of single mother households in South Dakota sometimes or often did not have enough food to eat in the last 7 days, compared to 7% of all households in the state, as of October 2023. According to the Food Environment Atlas developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 14% of single mother households in South Dakota lived in low-income and low-access areas, where at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (urban areas) or more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store (rural areas), as of 2019.
Transportation
The transportation situation of single mother households in South Dakota was also difficult, as they faced high transportation costs and low access to public transportation. According to the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 87% of single mother households in South Dakota had one or more vehicles available, compared to 94% of all households in the state, as of 2022. The mean travel time to work for single mothers who worked outside the home was 18 minutes, compared to 17 minutes for all workers in the state. About 1% of single mothers who worked outside the home used public transportation, compared to less than 1% of all workers in the state. However, public transportation options were limited and unreliable in many areas of the state, especially in rural counties.
Childcare
The childcare situation of single mother households in South Dakota was also challenging, as they faced high childcare costs and low availability of quality childcare services. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of infant care in South Dakota was $8,304 in 2020, which was 27% of the median income for single mother households in the state. The average annual cost of childcare for a 4-year-old was $6,696, which was 22% of the median income for single mother households. The average annual cost of childcare for a school-age child was $5,544, which was 18% of the median income for single mother households. According to Child Care Aware of America, there were only enough licensed childcare slots for 50% of children under age 6 with working parents in South Dakota in 2019. Moreover, the quality and safety of childcare providers varied widely across the state, and many low-income families did not have access to subsidized childcare programs.
Social Security
The social security situation of single mother households in South Dakota was also precarious, as they faced low social security benefits and high dependency on social security income. According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit for retired workers in South Dakota was $1,551 in December 2020. The average monthly benefit for disabled workers was $1,269. The average monthly benefit for widows or widowers was $1,392. The average monthly benefit for children was $623. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 22% of single mother households received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in 2022, compared to 6% of all households in the state. SSI is a federal program that provides cash assistance to people who are aged, blind, or disabled and have limited income and resources. The maximum monthly SSI payment for an individual was $794 in 2021.
Healthcare
The healthcare situation of single mother households in South Dakota was also dire, as they faced high healthcare costs and low access to quality healthcare services. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 28% of single mother households had no health insurance coverage in 2022, compared to 9% of all households in the state. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average annual premium for employer-sponsored health insurance for a single person in South Dakota was $7,104 in 2020. The average annual premium for employer-sponsored health insurance for a family was $20,196. The average annual deductible for employer-sponsored health insurance for a single person was $2,032. The average annual deductible for employer-sponsored health insurance for a family was $4,020. According to the Commonwealth Fund, South Dakota ranked 30th out of 51 states and the District of Columbia in terms of overall health system performance in 2020. The state performed poorly on measures such as access and affordability, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and costs, healthy lives, and health equity.
Expenses
The expenses of single mother households in South Dakota were also high, as they faced various costs related to housing, food, transportation, childcare, healthcare, education, and other necessities. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the basic family budget for a single mother with one child in South Dakota was $3,891 per month or $46,692 per year in 2020. This budget reflects the minimum amount necessary to cover basic needs such as housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes, and other essentials. However, this budget does not include savings, debt payments, retirement contributions, or any other discretionary spending. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income for single mother households in South Dakota was $31,400 in 2022, which was far below the basic family budget. This means that many single mother households in South Dakota struggled to make ends meet and had little or no financial security.
Conclusion
The statistics presented in this article show that single mother households in South Dakota faced multiple challenges and disadvantages compared to other households in the state and the nation. Single mother households had lower levels of education, employment, income, and homeownership; higher levels of poverty, food insecurity, health uninsuredness, and disability; and higher costs of living and lower access to quality services. These factors negatively affected the well-being and opportunities of single mothers and their children. Therefore, more policies and programs are needed to support and empower single mother households in South Dakota and help them overcome their barriers and achieve their potential.