The Difficult Truth About Single Motherhood In Utah

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, and Utah is a state where people generally love their mothers.  

Seems like a rather obvious statement, right? 

Well, here are some Utah statistics on mothers that may come as a surprise to some of you. There were roughly 69% of single families in Utah headed by single mothers in 2021. The Utah counties who had the highest rates of single mother households were Grand, Weber and Sand Juan Counties.  

Challenges Single Mothers Face in Utah and Everywhere 

Those who grew up with a single parent know that it can be a challenge. Balancing work, home life, health, and many other factors is a tough job. Well, single mothers seem to have it a bit worse.  

The U.S. poverty rate for single mothers in 2021 was 33.7% which is super high rate. Their married counterparts were less likely to face financial hardships.  

So why are single mothers more likely to experience living in poverty?  

There could be a few reasons, but the most obvious one is that women tend to be paid less than men. To add to that, many single mothers don’t get a dual income say like child support.  

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45.9% or less than half of single mothers who were supposed to receive child support did not get full payments.  

In 2021, the median income for a women’s household with no spouse was $51,168 while male households with no spouse was $70,525. Married couples averaged a median household income of $106,921.  

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Between childcare, activities, basic living requirements, and all the things needed for a family, being a single mom in Utah can be hard. Plus, Utah’s childcare cost is super high compared to other places.  

So, don’t forget your mother on Mother’s Day. Single moms in Utah have it HARD but so do married moms. Appreciate them and take them to lunch or clean the house for them.