MSMU RSWG 2023 final - Flipbook - Page 22
FAMILY HOMES
The average size of California families is close to 3.5, regardless of who heads the home. But there are
distinct economic characteristics between types of households. A partnered couple family can have two
working parents, while a working single mother brings home only one paycheck. This increases the odds
that a family headed by a single woman is more likely than a partnered-couple family to live in poverty.
Note: Here, “single women”
is defined as a household
headed by a woman with no
spouse present.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau,
2021 American Community
Survey 1-Year Estimates
FIGURE 9
MEDIAN INCOME51 AND POVERTY RATES52 OF CALIFORNIA FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS
MARRIED COUPLE
SINGLE WOMEN
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
$116,870
$54,001
HOUSEHOLD INCOME WITH OWN CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS
$122,034
$38,969
59%
5%
21%
of families headed
by married couples
are in poverty
20%
15%
9%
of families headed
by single women
are in poverty
IN HOUSEHOLDS
WITH 0 WORKERS
IN HOUSEHOLDS
WITH 1 WORKER
Additionally, Black and Latina households are more likely to live in poverty than White or Asian American
households.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau,
2021 American Community
Survey 1-Year Estimates
FIGURE 10
POVERTY RATES OF CALIFORNIA FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
OF HOUSEHOLDER53
ALL HOUSEHOLDS
SINGLE WOMEN HOUSEHOLDS
9%
ALL
21%
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
15%
ASIAN
AMERICAN
7%
15%
13%
LATINX
WHITE
24%
5%
25%
14%
Single-mother families
Where children are involved, the median income of a single mother household drops from $54,000 to
$39,000. For a single woman raising her own children, the poverty rate increases dramatically with the
number of children:54
• 1–2 children = 27% of families live in poverty
• 3–4 children = 55% in poverty
• 5 or more children = 75% in poverty
22 THE REPORT ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CALIFORNIA | 2023
