Marriage Poverty - Iowa

Marriage:
Iowa’s No. 1 Weapon
Against
Childhood Poverty
How the Collapse of Marriage Hurts Children
and Three Steps to Reverse the Damage
A Heritage Foundation Book of Charts • 2012

Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society

Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in Iowa, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Iowa’s PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 40%

When the federal government’s 34.2%
War on Poverty began in 1964, 35%
only 3.4 percent of children in
Iowa were born out of wedlock. 30%
However, over the next four
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, 34.2 percent of births in 25%
Iowa occurred outside of marriage.
20%

15%
Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty 10%
led to the creation of more than three
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7 5%
trillion on means-tested aid to the poor
since 1964.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.

Chart 1 • Marriage and Poverty in Iowa heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Iowa, 1929–2010
The marital birth rate — the PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN TO MARRIED COUPLES
percentage of all births that occur
to married parents — is the ﬂip 100%
side of the out-of-wedlock birth
rate.
Through most of the 20th cen- 90%
tury, marital births were the norm
in Iowa. In 1964, more than 96
percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 65.8 per-
70%
cent of births in Iowa occurred to
married couples.
65.8%
60%
Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
50%
Statistics.


In Iowa, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty by 88 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 50%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Iowa.
Some 37.7 percent of single
40% 37.7%
mothers with children were poor
compared to 4.5 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are more than eight times
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar- 20%
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of
the mothers and the lower income 4.5%
due to the absence of the father.
0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Female-Headed Families
Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.


In Iowa, Nearly One-Third of All Families with Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
70 percent of families with
children in Iowa. Nearly one-third
are single-parent families.

Unmarried
Families
29.8%
Married
Families
70.2%



In Iowa, 75 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married

Among poor families with
children in Iowa, three-quarters
are not married. By contrast,
one-quarter of poor families with
children are headed by married
couples. Married
Families
24.9%

Unmarried
Families
75.1%



In Iowa, Few Unwed Births Occur to Teenagers
Out-of-wedlock births are often PERCENTAGE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
confused erroneously with teen BY AGE OF MOTHER
births, but only 7.3 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Iowa Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 79 percent of 7.3%
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 13.9% Age
18–19:
15.9%
Age
25–29:
21.9%
Age
20–24:
41.0%

Note: Figures have been rounded.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.


Less-Educated Women Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside of Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
most frequently among the
women who will have the greatest 100% Unmarried
5.4%
difﬁculty supporting children by Mothers
themselves: those with low levels 90%
of education. 34.4%
80%
In Iowa among women who are 56.5%
high school dropouts, about 65.4 70%
65.4%
percent of all births occur outside 60%
marriage. Among women who 94.6% Married
have only a high school diploma, 50% Mothers
well over half of all births occur
40%
outside marriage. By contrast, 65.6%
among women with at least a 30%
college degree, only 5.4 percent of 43.5%
births are out of wedlock. 20%
34.6%
10%

0%
High School High School Some College Mother’s
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
Human Services, Centers for Disease (0–11 (12 (13–15 (16+ level
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Years) Years) Years) Years)
data.


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in Iowa
The poverty rate of married PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Poverty Rate of Families by
couples with children is dramati- WITH CHILDREN THAT Single
Education and Marital Status
cally lower than the rate for ARE POOR Married
of the Head of Household
households headed by single 70%
parents. This is true even when
the married couple is compared to 60% 57.3%
single parents with the same edu-
cation level.
50%
For example, in Iowa, the pov-
erty rate for a single mother who 40% 36.8%
has only a high school diploma is 33.5%
36.8 percent, but the poverty rate 30%
for a married couple family
headed by an individual who, 20%
similarly, has only a high school 15.4%
11.2%
degree is far lower at 6 percent. 10% 6.0% 4.2%
On average, marriage drops the 1.3%
poverty rate by about 83 percent 0%
among families with the same High School High School Some College
education level. Dropout Graduate College Graduate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Note: Virtually none of the heads of families in the chart who are high school
Community Survey, 2005–2009 data. dropouts are minor teenagers.


Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Iowa
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
90%
In 2008, 35.2 percent of births
in Iowa occurred outside marriage. 8.3%
80% 77.1%
The rate was lowest among non-
Hispanic whites at nearly one in
three births (31.6 percent). Among 70%
Hispanics, over half of births were
out-of-wedlock. Among blacks, 60%
nearly eight out of 10 births were 50.8%
to unmarried women (77.1 per- 50%
cent).
40% 35.2%
31.6%
30%

20%

10%

Source: U.S. Department of Health and 0%
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic


Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in Iowa, 1934–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
more frequent among blacks than 100%
among whites. However, prior to
90%
the onset of the federal
government’s War on Poverty in Black Non-
80%
1964, the rates for both whites and Hispanic
blacks were comparatively low. 77.1%
70%
In 1964, not even one in thirty
(3 percent) white children were 60%
born outside marriage. By 2008, Hispanic
the number had risen to nearly 50% 50.8%
one in three (31.6 percent).
40%
In 1964, about one in four black White Non-
children (23.1 percent) were born Hispanic
30%
outside marriage. By 2008, the 31.6%
number had risen to over three in 20%
four (77.1 percent).
10%

0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Iowa

In Iowa in 2008, some 84.4 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 4.4 percent
occurred to non-Hispanic blacks,
and 8.3 percent occurred to His-
panics.
Because blacks and Hispanics
are more likely to have children
without being married, they 84.4% White Non- 75.8%
account for a slightly larger share Hispanic
of all out-of-wedlock births.
In Iowa in 2008, 75.8 percent of
all non-marital births were to
non-Hispanic whites, 9.7 percent
were to black non-Hispanic
women, and 12 percent were to
Hispanics.
Hispanic 12.0%
8.3% Black Non-
4.4% Hispanic 9.7%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 2.9% Asian/Other 2.5%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Ten Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Iowa
Marriage leads to lower pov- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
erty rates for whites, blacks and
Hispanics.
30%
For example, in 2009, the 27.0%
poverty rate for married white
families in Iowa was 2.7 percent. 25%
But the poverty rate for non-
married white families was ten
times higher at 27 percent. 20%

15%

10%

5%
2.7%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Nearly Four Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Iowa
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Iowa was
13.6 percent, while the poverty
60%
rate for non-married black families
was nearly four times higher at 51.6%
51.6 percent. 50%

40%

30%

20%
13.6%

10%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Iowa
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in Iowa
was 12.2 percent, while the pov-
40%
erty rate among non-married
families was three times higher at 35.8%
35.8 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15%
12.2%
10%

5%

0%


Three Steps to Reduce Child Poverty through Marriage

1) Provide information on the benefits of marriage in reducing child poverty
and improving child well-being.

Marriage is a highly effective institution which greatly decreases parental and child
poverty while improving long-term outcomes for children. Conversely, the absence of
marriage greatly increases welfare costs and imposes added burdens on taxpayers.
Unfortunately, almost no information on these topics is available in low-income
communities. This information deficit should be corrected in the following manner:

• Explain the benefits of marriage in middle and high schools with a high
proportion of at-risk youth;
• Create public education campaigns in low-income communities on the
benefits of marriage; and,
• Require federally funded birth control clinics to provide information on the
benefits of marriage and the skills needed to develop stable families to
interested low-income clients.

2) Reduce anti-marriage penalties in means-tested welfare programs.

3) Promote life-goal-planning, marriage-strengthening, and divorce-reduction
programs to increase healthy marriages and reduce divorce and separation.

The Family & Religion Initiative is one of 10 Transformational Initiatives making up The Heritage
Foundation’s Leadership for America campaign. For more products and information related to this initiative
or to learn more about the Leadership for America campaign, please visit heritage.org.

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Marriage Poverty - Iowa

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