Single Mothers in Utah

Balancing work, life, and family can leave single mothers feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, and exhausted. In Utah nearly 13% of all Utah families are led by single mothers (separated, widowed, divorced, or never married). Understanding the unique needs of single mothers is a critical step in tailoring programs to help single mothers and their families thrive. In August of 2023, the Utah Women & Leadership Project published a report titled "Single Mothers in Utah " to provide Utahns with information about what is happening in the state. Thanks to Dr. Kristy Hodson, EdD and Dr. Emily Darowski for their fabulous work on this report! I provide a short summary here.

In 2021, 48,878 Utah women were single mothers. The counties with the highest percentage of single mother households were Grand (7.2%), Weber (6%), and San Juan (6.1%). The three counties with the lowest percentage reported were Piute (0%), Daggett (1%), and Beaver (1.8%).

Challenges Specific to Single Mothers

Single mothers are more likely to experience overwhelming challenges, such as economic difficulties, mental health concerns, work instability, decreased time to devote to their children and their own wellbeing, and barriers to completing education, all of which may contribute to poorer outcomes for their children. These burdens can cause single mothers to feel discouraged, overwhelmed, and exhausted, many of whom feel like they are in survival mode every day.

Economic Difficulties: The median income among Utah single mothers with kids under 18 has largely stayed the same for the last decade, from $33,100 in 2010 to $37,900 in 2020, even though the cost of living has continued to rise significantly. Many single mothers struggle with how to fully care for their children and still make ends meet financially. Sadly, one-third of single mothers live in poverty in the U.S.

Mental Health Concerns: Research suggests single mothers have more physical and mental health challenges compared to married couples. Understandably, single mothers have been shown to experience higher levels of chronic stress, loneliness, and depression than other women.

Barriers to Completing Education: Another substantial barrier facing single mothers is education. Lack of financial assistance, campus-based childcare services, and ongoing support prevents many single mothers from completing higher education.

In Utah, among the biggest challenges for single mothers are the wage gap, the cost of childcare (especially when more than one child lives in the household), and the cost of living. Because of the large gender wage gap in Utah (the largest in the nation, with women earning 70.8% of men’s earnings) surviving financially often means there is little to nothing left to go into long-term savings. In Utah, childcare for one child takes 14% of a median family’s income, which is compounded with each additional child. Cost of living increases are especially challenging for those who are living at or close to poverty levels and can take a toll on single mothers; in fact, in Utah one in four single-mother households lives below the poverty level.

What Utahns Can Do

There are a number of resources available to single mothers to ease their burden, but eligibility criteria, availability, and application cycles can make it difficult for them to fully utilize these resources, not to mention the limited time available to single mothers for them to find and apply for resource assistance.

Utah needs childcare reform that caps childcare expenses for single mother families. Employers should be encouraged and incentivized to offer childcare reimbursement programs, or onsite daycare programs. Utah also needs to increase access to affordable, high-quality childcare with extended operating hours, including after-school and summer programs.

Government and community support ought to include ways to grow single parent programs that are underfunded, particularly those aimed at alleviating poverty. We also need to encourage our girls and young women to graduate from college and pursue careers in higher-paying industries. Employers should promote programs focused on improving employment stability for single mothers and support policies aimed at increasing gender equality and decreasing the wage gap in Utah. And, to close another gap, single mothers also need better access to affordable mental healthcare.

Conclusion

There are many challenges associated with being a single mother in Utah, and there are resources in place to help these individuals; however, the data show a need for adjustments and additional programs, services, and policies. When Utah provides intentional and targeted support, it will build help and hope for single mothers and their families, which will positively impact our communities. Supporting children’s primary caregivers, including single mothers, helps ensures the successful future of our state.

To learn more, read the full research snapshot .

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Dr. Susan R. Madsen is a global thought leader, author, speaker, and scholar on the topic of women and leadership. She is also the Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project . Thank you to the authors of this report: Drs. Kristy Hodson and Emily S. Darowski.