Roughly 1.5 Million Single Dads in U.S. Represent 5% of Parent-Child Families

It’s not easy being a single parent. But in addition to the challenges of raising children alone, single fathers face a unique set of stigmas and challenges, many of which may feel isolating. Yet, according to a new report from LendingTree, there are over 1.5 million single dads in the U.S. — a number that’s anything but insignificant.

In recognition of Father’s Day, LendingTree researchers looked at where fathers are parenting by themselves. This study looks at the number of single fathers who live with their children and compares it to single-mother families, parents living with unmarried partners and parents who live with spouses.

Key findings

• Single fathers head 4.6% of families where parents live with their children. This translates to more than 1.5 million single fathers. In contrast, more than 6.3 million single-mother families represent 19.1% of parent-child families.
• Single fathers are most prevalent in Nevada. In the Silver State, single fathers represent 6.8% of parent-child families; the other states above 6% are Montana and Oklahoma. On the other hand, single fathers make up less than 4% of parent-child families in Utah, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York — the lowest in the U.S.
• Montana rises to the top when we narrow that view to single-parent families headed by fathers. Here, the difference is it’s looking solely at single-dad families versus single-mom families. In Montana, 31.0% of single-parent families are headed by fathers, followed by Maine (27.6%) and North Dakota (27.0%). Comparatively, dads are least likely to lead single-parent families in Mississippi (12.6%), the District of Columbia (13.4%) and Alabama (14.6%).
• The average income for single-father families is $67,405 — a third less than the average for all families where parents raise their children ($101,536). Even so, it’s significantly higher than the average income among single-mother families ($40,500).
• Single fathers are most financially behind other parent-child families in the District of Columbia. Single fathers earn 53.6% less, on average, than all parent-child families within the district — $75,399 versus $162,354. The other states with the widest gaps are Vermont (47.2%) and Massachusetts (42.7%). The states with the narrowest gaps are Wyoming (21.7%), Nevada (22.6%) and Mississippi (22.9%).

Prevalence of single dads, by state

When it comes to families where parents live with their children, parents with partners (either married or unmarried) are most common, accounting for 76.3% of parent-child families. Although single parents lead only 23.7% of parent-child families, the bulk of this is single mothers (19.1%) — single fathers lead just 4.6% of all parent-child families.

	Number of families	% of parent-child families
Single-father families	1,535,301	4.6%
Single-mother families	6,329,029	19.1%
All single-parent families	7,864,330	23.7%
Unmarried partner parent families	2,700,596	8.2%
Married partner parent families	22,554,214	68.1%
All partnered parent families	25,254,810	76.3%
All parent-child parents	33,119,140	100.0%

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) microdata.

But while single-father families aren’t all that common, LendingTree researchers found that Nevada has the largest rate of single-father families, at 6.8% of all parent-child families. Montana (6.3%) and Oklahoma (6.1%) have the next-highest shares of single fathers who live with their children.

In states where single-father families are least prevalent, the percentage of single dads living with children plummets below 4% of all parent-child families. In Utah and New Jersey, single-father families are nearly half as prevalent as in Nevada — accounting for just 3.6% of all parent-child families in each state. Massachusetts and New York are also at the bottom of the list, with single dads making up 3.7% and 3.9% of the parent-child families in each state, respectively.

Rank	State	Number of families where parents live with their children	Number of families where single fathers live with their children	% of families with single fathers
	U.S.	33,119,140	1,535,301	4.6%
1	Nevada	299,720	20,243	6.8%
2	Montana	101,837	6,409	6.3%
3	Oklahoma	420,659	25,521	6.1%
4	New Mexico	196,644	11,483	5.8%
5	Delaware	89,623	5,072	5.7%
5	South Dakota	94,898	5,371	5.7%
5	Wisconsin	611,672	34,851	5.7%
8	Maine	126,545	7,113	5.6%
8	North Dakota	86,930	4,900	5.6%
10	Arizona	696,483	37,981	5.5%
10	Kentucky	465,165	25,381	5.5%
10	Vermont	57,631	3,147	5.5%
13	Colorado	586,893	31,773	5.4%
13	Missouri	636,869	34,340	5.4%
13	Nebraska	225,842	12,190	5.4%
16	District of Columbia	49,559	2,614	5.3%
16	Indiana	710,174	37,772	5.3%
16	West Virginia	168,992	8,978	5.3%
19	Minnesota	617,721	32,126	5.2%
19	Ohio	1,210,193	62,696	5.2%
19	Tennessee	687,473	35,637	5.2%
22	Kansas	322,595	16,231	5.0%
22	Michigan	1,001,901	50,286	5.0%
22	Pennsylvania	1,260,562	62,763	5.0%
25	Oregon	416,548	20,249	4.9%
26	Florida	1,838,074	88,764	4.8%
27	Arkansas	320,102	14,973	4.7%
27	Idaho	188,823	8,845	4.7%
29	Iowa	344,698	16,014	4.6%
29	Louisiana	459,420	21,154	4.6%
29	Maryland	619,196	28,199	4.6%
29	Washington	795,935	36,826	4.6%
33	North Carolina	1,075,980	48,318	4.5%
33	Rhode Island	104,080	4,732	4.5%
33	South Carolina	486,603	21,693	4.5%
33	Wyoming	61,108	2,777	4.5%
37	California	3,872,025	170,277	4.4%
37	New Hampshire	130,809	5,784	4.4%
39	Alaska	75,927	3,283	4.3%
39	Virginia	877,644	37,351	4.3%
41	Hawaii	118,031	4,951	4.2%
41	Mississippi	300,827	12,602	4.2%
41	Texas	3,167,747	134,141	4.2%
44	Alabama	474,203	19,496	4.1%
44	Connecticut	365,513	15,104	4.1%
44	Georgia	1,098,818	45,137	4.1%
44	Illinois	1,317,002	54,129	4.1%
48	New York	1,882,580	73,137	3.9%
49	Massachusetts	685,250	25,412	3.7%
50	New Jersey	948,741	33,809	3.6%
50	Utah	366,875	13,266	3.6%

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) microdata

Where single-father families come closest to rate of single-mother families

While single-father families are nowhere near as prevalent as single-mother families in the U.S., some states come closer to closing the gap than others.

When looking solely at single parents and not all parent-child families, Montana has the largest share of single dads compared to single moms. Among the single-parent families in Montana, 31.0% are led by single-father families.

Notably, however, Montana has a smaller percentage of single-parent families than the U.S. average. Just 20.3% of all parent-child families in Montana are led by single parents — 41st overall and below the U.S. average of 23.7%.

Conversely, the states where the rate of single moms far outnumbers the rate of single dads the most are where single-parent families are most common.

Mississippi, which ranks second-highest for single-parent households, sees the widest margin between partnerless mothers and fathers. While 33.2% of parent-child families in the state are single-parent, single fathers lead just 12.6% of these. In the District of Columbia, where the gap between single moms and single dads is second-largest, single-parent families make up 39.5% of parent-child relationships — the highest of any state — but single dads lead just 13.4% of them.

Rank	State	Total single-parent families	Single-father families	% of single-parent families run by single fathers
	U.S.	7,864,330	1,535,301	19.5%
1	Montana	20,688	6,409	31.0%
2	Maine	25,774	7,113	27.6%
3	North Dakota	18,145	4,900	27.0%
4	Idaho	33,026	8,845	26.8%
5	Colorado	119,077	31,773	26.7%
6	South Dakota	20,363	5,371	26.4%
7	Minnesota	122,528	32,126	26.2%
8	Utah	52,970	13,266	25.0%
8	Wisconsin	139,647	34,851	25.0%
8	Wyoming	11,096	2,777	25.0%
11	Nevada	81,333	20,243	24.9%
12	Nebraska	49,174	12,190	24.8%
12	Vermont	12,696	3,147	24.8%
14	Alaska	13,308	3,283	24.7%
15	Washington	149,876	36,826	24.6%
16	Hawaii	20,862	4,951	23.7%
16	New Hampshire	24,379	5,784	23.7%
16	Oklahoma	107,531	25,521	23.7%
19	Kansas	69,816	16,231	23.2%
19	Oregon	87,288	20,249	23.2%
19	West Virginia	38,681	8,978	23.2%
22	Arizona	170,675	37,981	22.3%
22	Iowa	71,666	16,014	22.3%
24	Missouri	156,893	34,340	21.9%
25	California	783,865	170,277	21.7%
25	Kentucky	116,765	25,381	21.7%
27	Indiana	175,175	37,772	21.6%
28	Pennsylvania	300,741	62,763	20.9%
29	New Mexico	55,803	11,483	20.6%
30	Michigan	247,819	50,286	20.3%
31	Delaware	25,428	5,072	19.9%
32	Ohio	319,119	62,696	19.6%
33	Tennessee	184,053	35,637	19.4%
34	Virginia	193,271	37,351	19.3%
35	Maryland	151,304	28,199	18.6%
36	Florida	479,694	88,764	18.5%
37	Texas	762,258	134,141	17.6%
38	Illinois	309,717	54,129	17.5%
39	Connecticut	87,054	15,104	17.4%
40	New Jersey	195,863	33,809	17.3%
40	North Carolina	279,337	48,318	17.3%
42	Arkansas	87,090	14,973	17.2%
43	Rhode Island	27,726	4,732	17.1%
44	Massachusetts	156,855	25,412	16.2%
45	New York	469,688	73,137	15.6%
45	South Carolina	139,487	21,693	15.6%
47	Georgia	302,275	45,137	14.9%
48	Louisiana	142,909	21,154	14.8%
49	Alabama	133,956	19,496	14.6%
50	District of Columbia	19,573	2,614	13.4%
51	Mississippi	100,013	12,602	12.6%

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) microdata.

Rank	State	Number of families where parents live with their children	Single-father families	% of total	Single-mother families	% of total	Total single-parent families	% that are single parent
	U.S.	33,119,140	1,535,301	4.6%	6,329,029	19.1%	7,864,330	23.7%
1	District of Columbia	49,559	2,614	5.3%	16,959	34.2%	19,573	39.5%
2	Mississippi	300,827	12,602	4.2%	87,411	29.1%	100,013	33.2%
3	Louisiana	459,420	21,154	4.6%	121,755	26.5%	142,909	31.1%
4	South Carolina	486,603	21,693	4.5%	117,794	24.2%	139,487	28.7%
5	New Mexico	196,644	11,483	5.8%	44,320	22.5%	55,803	28.4%
5	Delaware	89,623	5,072	5.7%	20,356	22.7%	25,428	28.4%
7	Alabama	474,203	19,496	4.1%	114,460	24.1%	133,956	28.2%
8	Georgia	1,098,818	45,137	4.1%	257,138	23.4%	302,275	27.5%
9	Arkansas	320,102	14,973	4.7%	72,117	22.5%	87,090	27.2%
10	Nevada	299,720	20,243	6.8%	61,090	20.4%	81,333	27.1%
11	Tennessee	687,473	35,637	5.2%	148,416	21.6%	184,053	26.8%
12	Rhode Island	104,080	4,732	4.5%	22,994	22.1%	27,726	26.6%
13	Ohio	1,210,193	62,696	5.2%	256,423	21.2%	319,119	26.4%
14	Florida	1,838,074	88,764	4.8%	390,930	21.3%	479,694	26.1%
15	North Carolina	1,075,980	48,318	4.5%	231,019	21.5%	279,337	26.0%
16	Oklahoma	420,659	25,521	6.1%	82,010	19.5%	107,531	25.6%
17	Kentucky	465,165	25,381	5.5%	91,384	19.6%	116,765	25.1%
18	New York	1,882,580	73,137	3.9%	396,551	21.1%	469,688	24.9%
19	Michigan	1,001,901	50,286	5.0%	197,533	19.7%	247,819	24.7%
19	Indiana	710,174	37,772	5.3%	137,403	19.3%	175,175	24.7%
21	Missouri	636,869	34,340	5.4%	122,553	19.2%	156,893	24.6%
22	Arizona	696,483	37,981	5.5%	132,694	19.1%	170,675	24.5%
23	Maryland	619,196	28,199	4.6%	123,105	19.9%	151,304	24.4%
24	Texas	3,167,747	134,141	4.2%	628,117	19.8%	762,258	24.1%
25	Pennsylvania	1,260,562	62,763	5.0%	237,978	18.9%	300,741	23.9%
26	Connecticut	365,513	15,104	4.1%	71,950	19.7%	87,054	23.8%
27	Illinois	1,317,002	54,129	4.1%	255,588	19.4%	309,717	23.5%
28	Massachusetts	685,250	25,412	3.7%	131,443	19.2%	156,855	22.9%
28	West Virginia	168,992	8,978	5.3%	29,703	17.6%	38,681	22.9%
30	Wisconsin	611,672	34,851	5.7%	104,796	17.1%	139,647	22.8%
31	Vermont	57,631	3,147	5.5%	9,549	16.6%	12,696	22.0%
31	Virginia	877,644	37,351	4.3%	155,920	17.8%	193,271	22.0%
33	Nebraska	225,842	12,190	5.4%	36,984	16.4%	49,174	21.8%
34	Kansas	322,595	16,231	5.0%	53,585	16.6%	69,816	21.6%
35	South Dakota	94,898	5,371	5.7%	14,992	15.8%	20,363	21.5%
36	Oregon	416,548	20,249	4.9%	67,039	16.1%	87,288	21.0%
37	North Dakota	86,930	4,900	5.6%	13,245	15.2%	18,145	20.9%
38	Iowa	344,698	16,014	4.6%	55,652	16.1%	71,666	20.8%
39	New Jersey	948,741	33,809	3.6%	162,054	17.1%	195,863	20.6%
40	Maine	126,545	7,113	5.6%	18,661	14.7%	25,774	20.4%
41	Montana	101,837	6,409	6.3%	14,279	14.0%	20,688	20.3%
41	Colorado	586,893	31,773	5.4%	87,304	14.9%	119,077	20.3%
43	California	3,872,025	170,277	4.4%	613,588	15.8%	783,865	20.2%
44	Minnesota	617,721	32,126	5.2%	90,402	14.6%	122,528	19.8%
45	Washington	795,935	36,826	4.6%	113,050	14.2%	149,876	18.8%
46	New Hampshire	130,809	5,784	4.4%	18,595	14.2%	24,379	18.6%
47	Wyoming	61,108	2,777	4.5%	8,319	13.6%	11,096	18.2%
48	Hawaii	118,031	4,951	4.2%	15,911	13.5%	20,862	17.7%
49	Alaska	75,927	3,283	4.3%	10,025	13.2%	13,308	17.5%
49	Idaho	188,823	8,845	4.7%	24,181	12.8%	33,026	17.5%
51	Utah	366,875	13,266	3.6%	39,704	10.8%	52,970	14.4%

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) microdata.

Single-father salaries are a third lower than married families

The average income for families headed by single dads is $67,405, a third less than the average for all families where parents raise their children ($101,536).

However, while dual-income households hold an obvious advantage, the average income for single dads is still higher than the average income for unmarried partners ($43,389).

This gap may be because single fathers are typically more educated than cohabiting parents — only 12% of cohabiting fathers have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 26% of single fathers, according to U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) data. A separate 2018 Pew Research Center analysis showed solo parents are more likely to be older than cohabiting partners, meaning work experience may also account for income differences.

Single dads also earn significantly more than single-mother families ($40,500). Single mothers are slightly less likely than single dads to have a bachelor’s degree (23%), according to the 2020 Census data. In addition, the gender pay gap may further contribute to this difference — according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women in the U.S. earned 16.9% less than men on average in 2021.

Demographic factors may also exacerbate income gaps: On average, Black women earn 29.4% less weekly than white men, according to the BLS.

	Average income
Single-father families	$67,405
Single-mother families	$40,500
All single-parent families	$45,753
Unmarried partner parent families	$43,389
Married partner parent families	$127,949
All partnered parent families	$118,906
All parent-child parents	$101,536

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) microdata.

Which state has the widest income gap — and which has the smallest?

Single dads fare the worst in D.C., where they earn 53.6% less than families with two parents — an average of $75,399, compared with the partnered-parent family average of $162,354. Following D.C., the incomes of single fathers are most different from partnered-parent salaries in Vermont and Massachusetts. For comparison, the breakdown is:

• Vermont: $51,155 versus $96,851 (47.2% gap)
• Massachusetts: $79,426 versus $138,668 (42.7% gap)

On the other hand, single dads in Wyoming are the most likely to make salaries that more closely align with those of two-parent families. The average salary for single dads here is $71,142, while two-parent families earn $90,800 — a 21.7% difference. Nevada and Mississippi rank second and third for single dads, where they make:

• Nevada: $66,088 versus $85,387 (22.6% gap)
• Mississippi: $54,636 versus $70,821 (22.9% gap)

Rank	State	Average income of families raising their own children	Average income of single-father families	Difference ($)	Difference (%)
	U.S.	$101,536	$67,405	$34,130	33.6%
1	District of Columbia	$162,354	$75,399	$86,955	53.6%
2	Vermont	$96,851	$51,155	$45,696	47.2%
3	Massachusetts	$138,668	$79,426	$59,241	42.7%
4	West Virginia	$73,880	$44,277	$29,604	40.1%
5	Iowa	$92,144	$55,733	$36,411	39.5%
5	Maine	$89,868	$54,334	$35,534	39.5%
7	Illinois	$109,035	$66,902	$42,133	38.6%
8	Minnesota	$114,025	$70,133	$43,892	38.5%
9	Tennessee	$84,138	$52,637	$31,501	37.4%
10	Nebraska	$92,997	$58,311	$34,686	37.3%
11	Arkansas	$77,056	$48,550	$28,506	37.0%
12	Missouri	$88,961	$56,592	$32,369	36.4%
12	Pennsylvania	$101,556	$64,544	$37,012	36.4%
14	Maryland	$127,215	$82,277	$44,937	35.3%
15	Alaska	$103,424	$67,014	$36,411	35.2%
16	New Jersey	$136,230	$88,607	$47,624	35.0%
16	New York	$117,575	$76,365	$41,210	35.0%
16	South Dakota	$90,369	$58,741	$31,628	35.0%
19	Virginia	$118,503	$77,090	$41,413	34.9%
20	Colorado	$113,744	$74,445	$39,299	34.6%
21	Kansas	$92,601	$60,791	$31,811	34.4%
22	Georgia	$93,321	$61,514	$31,808	34.1%
22	New Hampshire	$117,228	$77,281	$39,947	34.1%
24	Connecticut	$136,087	$89,852	$46,236	34.0%
25	Kentucky	$81,304	$53,939	$27,365	33.7%
25	Washington	$115,951	$76,851	$39,100	33.7%
27	Ohio	$89,958	$59,940	$30,018	33.4%
28	Wisconsin	$96,582	$64,517	$32,065	33.2%
29	Michigan	$91,200	$61,004	$30,195	33.1%
30	Oregon	$99,799	$67,130	$32,668	32.7%
31	North Carolina	$89,598	$60,461	$29,137	32.5%
32	Texas	$94,568	$63,905	$30,663	32.4%
33	Alabama	$80,677	$55,002	$25,675	31.8%
34	Oklahoma	$78,438	$53,677	$24,760	31.6%
35	Indiana	$85,542	$58,836	$26,706	31.2%
36	Montana	$87,407	$60,225	$27,182	31.1%
37	North Dakota	$99,837	$68,961	$30,876	30.9%
38	Idaho	$85,221	$59,213	$26,008	30.5%
39	Arizona	$88,230	$61,647	$26,583	30.1%
40	California	$117,302	$83,188	$34,114	29.1%
40	New Mexico	$70,378	$49,933	$20,445	29.1%
42	Delaware	$99,170	$71,059	$28,110	28.3%
43	Louisiana	$79,438	$57,065	$22,373	28.2%
44	Rhode Island	$102,038	$73,770	$28,268	27.7%
45	Utah	$100,336	$74,564	$25,772	25.7%
46	South Carolina	$83,279	$62,659	$20,620	24.8%
47	Hawaii	$106,982	$81,403	$25,579	23.9%
48	Florida	$87,971	$67,523	$20,448	23.2%
49	Mississippi	$70,821	$54,636	$16,186	22.9%
50	Nevada	$85,387	$66,088	$19,299	22.6%
51	Wyoming	$90,800	$71,142	$19,658	21.7%

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) microdata.

3 ways single fathers can find more financial freedom

According to LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz, the greatest financial risks single-father households face go beyond the income gap.

For single fathers looking to expand their financial freedom, Schulz offers the following advice:

• A budget is crucial. Creating a budget to pay off debt can give you the ability to make choices and prioritize what matters, Schulz says. Whether that’s child care, college savings or keeping your kid clothed and fed, understanding your flexibility and limitations makes it easier for you to plan and pay off existing debts.
• Be thoughtful about your future expenses. Schulz advises people to take the time to understand how much money is coming in and going out of their household each month and use that information to make some important decisions — like financing their child’s college education. “Don’t hesitate to trim some expenses to free up money to fund your priorities,” Schulz says. “Get creative with ways to bring in a little more income.”
• The most important thing: Take action, no matter how small. “Life is the most stressful when things feel out of our control,” Schulz says. “Taking steps to improve your situation, even small ones, can be empowering and motivating, and that feeling can keep you moving forward even on the most challenging days.”

Methodology

LendingTree researchers analyzed microdata from the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 American Community Survey (five-year estimates) to calculate the number of families headed by single men, single women, married couples and unmarried couples who live with their own children younger than 18.

For this study, single parents are people living with their minor children who are neither married nor living with unmarried partners. Married and unmarried partners include same-sex couples.

“Own children” include biological, adopted and stepchildren who are younger than 18 and unmarried. This study doesn’t include households and institutions where children live without at least one parent.