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U.S. Census Shows Growing Numbers of Single Dads With Primary Custody

Data taken from the 2010 United States Census shows that more households in America are run by single fathers than ever before.

In the last decade, the number of families headed by single dads grew a staggering 27.3 percent. In 1950, only 1.1 percent of homes in the United States were run by single males. By 2000, that number had grown to 6.3 percent. Today, a full eight percent of households are supported by single fathers.

What has caused this increase in single fathers with primary custody of their children? Experts believe that it is probably a mix of factors. Society and family values have shifted from 1950, when fathers were not often seen as capable of childcare and when dads were expected to work away from the home. At the same time, courts have instated child custody laws that decide on a child's primary residence by examining what is in the best interests of the child, not by assuming the mother is the right choice.

In addition, some researchers believe that the growing number of single fathers raising children may be related to the growing number of couples who cohabitate and have children before marrying. The Census shows these households as having a "single" father with children, despite the presence of a significant other in the home.

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