Key finding
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey counted 2.5 million single-father households in 2023, compared with 7.3 million single-mother households. Single fathers represent about 25% of all single-parent households, up from roughly 14% in 1960. About 5% of U.S. children under 18 live with their father only. Single-father households have grown nearly ninefold since 1960, when fewer than 300,000 existed. Single fathers are more likely than single mothers to be living with a cohabiting partner (41% vs. 16%), are more likely to be white, and have substantially higher median household incomes. These figures come from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) 2023 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, and from Pew Research Center’s 2013 analysis of Census and American Community Survey data.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are about 2.5 million single-father households in the United States, representing roughly 25% of all single-parent households. In comparison, about 7.3 million households are headed by a single mother. About 5% of U.S. children ages 0–17 live with their father only, compared with roughly 22% who live with their mother only.
These figures come from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement for 2023. The 2023 data was published in the Census Bureau’s March 2024 “National Single Parent Day” release and its America’s Families and Living Arrangements series.
Data breakdown: Single fathers vs. single mothers in the U.S.
Single fathers make up a distinct minority of single parents. The table below compares the two groups across key demographic and economic indicators. Economic comparison figures are drawn from Pew Research Center’s 2013 report, which analyzed 2011 Census data; the current numbers are likely higher in absolute terms due to inflation, but the relative gap persists in more recent Census data.
| Metric | Single Fathers | Single Mothers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of households (2023) | 2.5 million | 7.3 million | Census CPS (2023) |
| Share of single-parent households | ~25% | ~75% | Census CPS (2023) |
| Children living this way (2022) | ~5% of kids under 18 | ~22% of kids under 18 | Census / Childstats.gov |
| Poverty rate (approx., 2022) | ~15% | ~28% | Census CPS (2022 est.) |
| Median household income (3-person, 2011 data) | ~$40,000 | ~$26,000 | Pew Research, 2013 |
| Living with a cohabiting partner | 41% | 16% | Pew Research, 2013 |
| Historical count (1960) | ~300,000 | ~1.9 million | Pew Research, 2013 |
Growth over time (single-father households, Census data via Pew Research):
| Year | Single-father households | Single-mother households |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | ~300,000 | ~1.9 million |
| 1990 | ~1.3 million | ~6.0 million |
| 2011 | ~2.6 million | ~8.6 million |
| 2023 | ~2.5 million | ~7.3 million |
Who single fathers are (from Pew Research Center, 2013, using 2011 Census/ACS data):
About 52% of single fathers have no cohabiting partner; 41% are living with a non-marital partner; and 7% are technically married but living apart from their spouse. Among single fathers without a partner, the median household income is approximately $43,000; among those cohabiting, it is about $38,000.
Single fathers are predominantly white (56%), with 24% Hispanic and 15% Black, compared with single mothers who are 45% white, 28% Black, and 22% Hispanic.
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In-depth analysis: The rise — and plateau — of single fatherhood in America
Single-father households grew nearly ninefold between 1960 and 2011, from roughly 300,000 to more than 2.6 million, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis of Census data. That pace outstripped even the growth of single-mother households, which roughly quadrupled over the same period. As a share of all single-parent families, fathers went from about 14% in 1960 to roughly 25% today.
The growth has leveled off over the past decade. The 2023 CPS figure of 2.5 million single-father households is essentially flat compared with 2011’s 2.6 million, mirroring a similar plateau in single-mother households (8.6 million in 2011, 7.3 million in 2023). Part of this reflects demographic shifts: as the overall number of two-parent married households has declined, some of the same factors that once drove single-parenthood up (rising divorce rates, non-marital births) have shifted toward cohabitation rather than sole custody.
The economic gap between single fathers and single mothers is among the widest of any two comparable family types in Census data. Single fathers are less likely to be in poverty, more likely to be in the labor force, and earn substantially more on average. This gap persists even after controlling for age and education, though some of it reflects the higher rate of cohabitation among single fathers: a partner in the household adds income. The more meaningful comparison is with solo-custody fathers (those with no partner), whose median income of roughly $43,000 still sits above the $26,000 median for single mothers, but not by as wide a margin as the headline figures suggest.
Three structural factors explain most of the long-run growth in single fatherhood. Non-marital birth rates rose substantially from the 1960s through the 2000s. Divorce rates, though leveling off since the 1980s, remain far higher than in 1960. And changes in family court practice over the 1990s and 2000s produced more shared- and father-sole-custody arrangements, particularly for fathers who were already the primary caregiving parent or who had the income to pursue custody effectively.
FAQ: Single fathers in the U.S.
How many single fathers are there in the United States?
The Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey counted 2.5 million single-father households in 2023. These are households where a man is the householder, no spouse is present, and at least one minor child (under 18) lives in the home.
How do single fathers compare to single mothers in numbers?
Single mothers outnumber single fathers roughly 3 to 1. The 2023 CPS counted 7.3 million single-mother households compared with 2.5 million single-father households. Single fathers represent about 25% of all single-parent households.
What percentage of children live with a single father?
About 5% of U.S. children ages 0–17 lived with their father only in 2022, according to Census Bureau data compiled by Childstats.gov. By comparison, roughly 22% of children lived with their mother only.
Are single fathers poor?
Single-father households have substantially lower poverty rates than single-mother households, but higher rates than two-parent married families. In 2022, roughly 15% of single-father households were in poverty, compared with about 28% of single-mother households and 8% of married-couple families, according to Census data.
Has the number of single fathers increased over time?
Yes. From fewer than 300,000 in 1960, the number of single-father households grew to about 2.6 million by 2011, a roughly ninefold increase. Growth has largely plateaued since then, with the 2023 CPS reporting 2.5 million.
What is a “single father” in Census data?
The Census Bureau defines a single-father household as one where the male householder has no spouse present and at least one child under 18 living with him. The category includes men who are divorced, widowed, never-married, or married-but-separated. It also includes men who are cohabiting with a non-marital partner — about 41% of single fathers, per Pew Research.
Sources
U.S. Census Bureau. Historical Families Table FM-1: Families by presence of own children under 18, 1950 to present. Time-series data underlying the growth chart.
U.S. Census Bureau. National Single Parent Day: March 21, 2024. 2024. Primary source for the 2.5 million single-father / 7.3 million single-mother household figures (CPS 2023).
U.S. Census Bureau. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2023. CPS tables, 2023. Detailed household structure data.
U.S. Census Bureau. America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2022. Report P20-587, published 2024. Long-run household composition data.
U.S. Census Bureau / Childstats.gov. FAM1.A: Family structure and children’s living arrangements, 1980–2023. Source for the 5% of children living with father only figure.
Pew Research Center. The Rise of Single Fathers. July 2013. Source for the ninefold growth figure, 1960–2011 trend data, demographic profile, and economic comparison of single fathers vs. single mothers.
Cite this research
APA 7 Fathercraft. (2026). How many single fathers are there in the U.S.? Fathercraft Research. https://fathercraft.com/single-father-statistics/
MLA 9 Fathercraft. “How Many Single Fathers Are There in the U.S.?” Fathercraft Research, 2026, fathercraft.com/single-father-statistics/.
Chicago (author-date) Fathercraft. 2026. “How Many Single Fathers Are There in the U.S.?” Fathercraft Research. https://fathercraft.com/single-father-statistics/.
Published 2026-06-05. Primary data: U.S. Census Bureau CPS (2023); Pew Research Center (2013, using 2011 Census/ACS data). Economic comparison figures (income, poverty) reflect 2011 data unless otherwise noted.
