Last Updated on November 21, 2020 by Single Dad In Diego
Being a single dad can sometimes feel like you are stranded on a deserted island. When you drop the kids off at school or take them to the park and see tons of moms or moms and dads together with their kids, it can feel as if you are the only one. Well, the truth is, single dad stats show that there are more of us every day.
The funny thing is, the single father statistics tell a much different story. The fact of the matter is that there are quite a few people just like you (and me) that are men that are the head of the family. Are you surprised? Yeah so was I.
Roughly 16% of single-parent households are headed by fathers-a 25% increase in the last 10 years.
So why are there so many more single dads out there?
Well, there are a number of reasons for this and there is no one that has created this increase alone. As a single father, you know for yourself that a big reason for why YOU are a single father is that you love your kids and you want them to have a great upbringing.
I doubt you will find any hard scientific data found in single father statistics on this point but I think a reasonable opinion is that in the United States, that attitude among men has not always been as prevalent as it is today. So when circumstances lead to there being a single-parent household, it is becoming ever more commonplace for the father to be that single parent.
Breaking down the single dad stats
So why don’t we dive a little deeper into the research in single father statistics to see why this community of single dads is ever-growing.
1. Like many of you, I am a single dad due to a divorce.
I am sure if you have been through this as well, you know you probably had many days where you weighed having a two-parent household that was full of acrimony and discord versus one or two single-parent homes that were much more peaceful, nurturing, and much more beneficial for your children.
It should be pointed out that the number of never-married single dads is on the rise, yet these numbers still pale in comparison to the roughly 1 in 2 single moms that have never been married.
2. Single dads are more likely white, better educated and somewhat older than single mom’s
Now after reading point one, this may come as no big shock just because the sheer number of single moms is so much greater than the number of single dads. Single dad stats say that about 1 in 4 single dads have a bachelor’s degree compared to about 1 in 5 single moms.
While this is not a measure of how likely a child is to be successful in their lives, it can tend to explain why single dads MAY have a better source of income to provide for children overall.
3. Single dads cohabitate more than single moms
This is not by default a good thing. The stats show that dads that cohabitate tend to have less education and lower-income levels then dad’s that do not. Why this result exists is probably not easy to track down.
It could stand to reason that those single dads that cohabitate might simply be younger and thus do not have the advantage of experience on their side. It is probably fair to say that when young men who have kids are not truly prepared, in fact, are still to a certain extent children themselves, the ability to raise kids on their own may quite simply be overwhelming.
4. So it is no surprise that when you take those two points together, single dad households are better off than single mom households
In fact, single dad stats say that the average income level of a single dad household it’s about 40% higher than that of a single mom household. As we said before the mere fact that there are so many more single mom households tends to skew this number, yet the number still exists. While single dad households tend to live in poverty less than single mom households, they both live in poverty more than to parent households do.
5. Kids in single-dad households tend to fare about as well as kids in single-mom households
I talked earlier about the stereotype of kids living with mom when there is only one parent. This has been a common stereotype in this country for quite some time, yet the stats seem to show but things are changing.
What does it all mean? You already know the answer!!
As a single dad, you know that you are just as capable of providing a stable, loving, and prosperous relationship with your kids as any parent could be male or female.