Children And Education

Increasing


Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21

What does this measure?

The number of single-parent families with children under 18, as a percent of all families with children under 18 and reported by various racial and ethnic groups.

Why is this important?

Single-parent families may experience more stress and economic strain than dual-parent households with two incomes. Children in these families can be at risk of poorer health and educational outcomes. However, children may also have opportunities to build resilience and experience a larger community through the support of extended family and friends.

How does our county compare?

In 2017-21, 26% of white, 61% of African American and 56% of Hispanic families in Lancaster County were single-parent families. Since 2000, rates among Hispanic and white families increased by 8 points and 2 points respectively, while the rate decreased by 5 points among African American families. The county's rate of single-parent Hispanic families was similar to the statewide rate and higher than the national rate, while the rates for African American and white families in Lancaster were lower than the state and nation.

Within Lancaster County, the City of Lancaster's rates were higher than the County's among all groups, with 56% of white families, 64% of Hispanic families, and 70% of African American families headed by a single parent.

Why do these disparities exist?

Explanations about why more children of color are growing up in single-parent households include the deliberate dismantling of Black families during slavery and its enduring influence on family structure. The high incarceration rates of men of color, economic strain and changing attitudes about marriage also influence these disparities.

Notes about the data

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are released annually in December.

Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
Pennsylvania18%73%54%34%
Lancaster County23%**61%56%26%
Lancaster City42%***70%*64%56%
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough0%***57%***N/A***18%***
Akron borough100%***N/A***89%***42%**
Christiana boroughN/A***N/A***N/A***39%***
Columbia boroughN/A***85%***55%***56%*
Denver township57%***0%***0%***42%**
East Petersburg boroughN/A***0%***11%***10%***
Elizabethtown boroughN/A***N/A***49%***38%**
Ephrata boroughN/A***0%***66%***39%*
Lititz borough0%***N/A***77%***35%*
Manheim boroughN/A***N/A***0%***18%***
Marietta boroughN/A***N/A***100%***25%***
Millersville borough0%***N/A***86%***33%***
Mount Joy boroughN/A***0%***85%***43%**
Mountville boroughN/A***66%***100%***71%**
New Holland boroughN/A***0%***N/A***13%***
Quarryville borough0%***100%***64%***34%**
Strasburg boroughN/A***N/A***43%***32%***
Terre Hill boroughN/A***N/A***N/A***5%***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***7%***
Brecknock townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***47%***
Caernarvon township0%***N/A***N/A***13%***
Clay townshipN/A***N/A***100%***15%***
Colerain townshipN/A***0%***N/A***0%***
Conestoga township0%***N/A***N/A***40%***
Conoy townshipN/A***N/A***75%***19%***
Drumore townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***5%***
Earl townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***4%***
East Cocalico township0%***N/A***0%***21%***
East Donegal townshipN/A***61%***100%***14%***
East Drumore township0%***N/A***0%***15%***
East Earl townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***14%***
East Hempfield township15%***0%***11%***17%*
East Lampeter township0%***47%***44%***36%*
Eden townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***5%***
Elizabeth township0%***N/A***N/A***2%***
Ephrata townshipN/A***N/A***100%***20%**
Fulton townshipN/A***0%***100%***46%***
Lancaster township0%***51%***65%***33%**
Leacock townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***6%***
Little Britain townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***26%***
Manheim township0%***29%***50%**28%
Manor township0%***55%***51%***32%**
Martic townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***24%**
Mount Joy townshipN/A***N/A***0%***29%**
Paradise townshipN/A***N/A***44%***6%***
Penn township48%***N/A***71%***7%***
Pequea township0%***N/A***69%***16%***
Providence townshipN/A***N/A***100%***30%**
Rapho township0%***N/A***0%***15%***
Sadsbury townshipN/A***N/A***0%***3%***
Salisbury townshipN/A***0%***N/A***13%**
Strasburg townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***25%***
Upper Leacock township33%***94%***66%***14%***
Warwick township84%***49%***61%***22%*
West Cocalico townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***16%***
West Donegal townshipN/A***N/A***N/A***16%***
West Earl township0%***N/A***0%***21%***
West Hempfield township36%***0%***19%***19%**
West Lampeter township0%***71%***29%***14%**
Berks County18%***62%62%37%
Chester County7%**57%44%26%
Cumberland County11%**35%**41%*34%
Dauphin County12%**68%60%33%
Lebanon County19%***60%**58%*32%
York County39%*75%59%35%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Number of Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity, 2017-21
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicWhite
Pennsylvania11,382143,16974,179393,105
Lancaster County385**1,9625,27314,784
Lancaster City141***1,110*2,2182,012
Lancaster County Boroughs
Adamstown borough0***16***0***63***
Akron borough15***0***64***215**
Christiana borough0***0***0***39***
Columbia borough0***76***72***527*
Denver township36***0***0***187**
East Petersburg borough0***0***18***44***
Elizabethtown borough0***0***30***454**
Ephrata borough0***0***84***762*
Lititz borough0***0***75***463*
Manheim borough0***0***0***98***
Marietta borough0***0***16***60***
Millersville borough0***0***64***114***
Mount Joy borough0***0***94***415**
Mountville borough0***92***92***240**
New Holland borough0***0***0***66***
Quarryville borough0***24***48***103**
Strasburg borough0***0***20***120***
Terre Hill borough0***0***0***6***
Lancaster County Townships
Bart township0***0***0***27***
Brecknock township0***0***0***513***
Caernarvon township0***0***0***70***
Clay township0***0***62***103***
Colerain township0***0***0***0***
Conestoga township0***0***0***159***
Conoy township0***0***36***72***
Drumore township0***0***0***16***
Earl township0***0***0***27***
East Cocalico township0***0***0***230***
East Donegal township0***38***66***147***
East Drumore township0***0***0***60***
East Earl township0***0***0***91***
East Hempfield township22***0***31***399*
East Lampeter township0***146***276***557*
Eden township0***0***0***14***
Elizabeth township0***0***0***9***
Ephrata township0***0***22***178**
Fulton township0***0***42***203***
Lancaster township0***118***714***419**
Leacock township0***0***0***40***
Little Britain township0***0***0***98***
Manheim township0***50***476**1,432
Manor township0***36***277***730**
Martic township0***0***0***139**
Mount Joy township0***0***0***388**
Paradise township0***0***12***36***
Penn township50***0***44***62***
Pequea township0***0***94***88***
Providence township0***0***40***240**
Rapho township0***0***0***147***
Sadsbury township0***0***0***13***
Salisbury township0***0***0***180**
Strasburg township0***0***0***160***
Upper Leacock township15***190***92***119***
Warwick township80***46***59***478*
West Cocalico township0***0***0***154***
West Donegal township0***0***0***107***
West Earl township0***0***0***237***
West Hempfield township26***0***20***397**
West Lampeter township0***20***15***257**
Berks County122***1,9358,62514,577
Chester County416**2,1122,54214,471
Cumberland County204**295**601*9,171
Dauphin County204**5,0542,0297,197
Lebanon County49***306**1,371*4,444
York County462*2,9453,20817,425

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




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