Definition

The number and percent of all children (birth to age 17) living in families headed by a parent without a spouse present in the home.

This indicator includes only children of the head of household. This differs from the national and state only indicator "Children in single-parent families," which includes children who live in subfamilies or are not children of the head of household (e.g., a child living with a grandparent, or with a parent and other family member who is the head of the household). The current state and county-level indicator does not include these situations.

Data Source

Census Bureau's Decennial Census, Summary File 4 (1990, 2000) and American Community Survey Table B09002 (5-year estimates) for all other years.

Last Updated

2025-08