Marriage and Poverty - West Virginia

Marriage:
West Virginia’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 West Virginia, 1929–2010
Throughout most of West PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Virginia’s history, out-of-wedlock
childbearing was rare. 50%

When the federal government’s 44.0%
War on Poverty began in 1964,
only 7 percent of children in West 40%
Virginia were born out of wedlock.
However, over the next four
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, 44 percent of births in 30%
West Virginia occurred outside of
marriage.

20%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty
led to the creation of more than three 10%
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7
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 West Virginia heritage.org

Death of Marriage in West Virginia, 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 side 100%
of the out-of-wedlock birth rate.
Through most of the 20th cen-
tury, marital births were the norm
in West Virginia. In 1964, over 93
percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%

However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 56 percent
of births in West Virginia occurred
to married couples.
60%

56.0%
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.
40%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.


In West Virginia, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 79 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 60%
high levels of child poverty in
West Virginia.
49.5%
Some 49.5 percent of single 50%
mothers with children are poor
compared to 10.6 percent of mar-
ried couples with children. 40%
Single-parent families with
children are nearly ﬁve times more
30%
likely to be poor than families in
which the parents are married.
The higher poverty rate among 20%
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of 10.6%
the mothers and the lower income 10%
due to the absence of the father.

0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families


Nearly One-Third of All Families with Children in West Virginia
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in West Virginia. Almost
one-third are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
31.9%

Married
Families
68.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.


In West Virginia, Two-Thirds of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in West Virginia,
two-thirds are not married. By
contrast, one-third of poor families
with children are headed by
married couples. Married
Families
33.3%

Unmarried
Families
66.7%



In West Virginia, Few Unwed Births Occur to Teenagers
Out-of-wedlock births are PERCENTAGE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
often confused erroneously BY AGE OF MOTHER
with teen births, but only 8.1
percent of out-of-wedlock births Under
in West Virginia occur to girls Age 18:
under age 18. 8.1%
By contrast, some 79 percent Age
of out-of-wedlock births occur 30–54:
to young adult women between 12.9%
the ages of 18 and 29. Age
18–19:
Age 16.9%
25–29:
21.5%

Age
20–24:
40.6%
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 in West Virginia Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs most PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
frequently among the women who OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
will have the greatest difﬁculty sup-
100% Unmarried
porting children by themselves: those 8.1%
with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who 42%
are high school dropouts, about 65.2 80%
percent of all births occur outside 54.5%
marriage. Among women who have 70%
only a high school diploma, well over 65.2%
half of all births occur outside mar- 60%
Married
riage. By contrast, among women 91.9%
50% Mothers
with at least a college degree, only
8.1 percent of births are out of wed- 40%
lock. 58%
30%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 45.5%
births and maternal education are not 20%
available in West Virginia. However, the 34.8%
pattern varies little between states. 10%
West Virginia data will be very similar to
the national data presented in this chart. 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
data. Years) Years) Years) Years)


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in West Virginia
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 house- ARE POOR Married
of the Head of Household
holds headed by single parents. 80%
This is true even when the married 74.5%
couple is compared to single par- 70%
ents with the same education level.
60%
For example, in West Virginia,
the poverty rate for a single 50.2% 50.1%
50%
mother who has only a high 42.4%
school diploma is 50.2 percent, 40.1%
40%
but the poverty rate for a married
couple family headed by an indi- 30%
vidual who, similarly, has only a
high school degree is far lower at 20%
12.7%
12.7 percent.
10% 7.6%
On average, marriage drops the 1.8%
poverty rate by about 73 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 West Virginia
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies by race.
80%
In 2008, 42 percent of births in 75%
West Virginia occurred outside 8.3%
marriage. The rate was lowest 70%
among non-Hispanic whites.
Among this group four in ten 60%
births were non-marital.
Among Hispanics, 45 percent of 50%
births were out of wedlock. 45%
42% 40.8%
Among blacks, three in every four
40%
children were to unmarried
women.
30%

20%

10%

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 West Virginia, 1935–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
more frequent among blacks than 80%
among whites. However, prior to Black Non-
the onset of the federal Hispanic
70% 75.0%
government’s War on Poverty in
1964, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low. 60%

In 1964, about one in twenty
(5.8 percent) white children in 50%
West Virginia were born outside White Non-
marriage. By 2008, the number 40% Hispanic
had risen to four in ten (40.8 40.8%
percent).
30%
In 1964, about one in three
black children (32.1 percent) were
20%
born outside marriage. By 2008,
the number had risen to three in
four. 10%

0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Bureau, and National Center for Health
Statistics.


West Virginia Has the Highest White Unwed Birth Rate in the Nation
West Virginia has the highest
non-marital birth rate among 40.8%
white non-Hispanic women in the 40%
nation.
Across the nation, 28.6 percent
of white non-Hispanic children
were born outside marriage in 30% 28.6%
2008. In West Virginia, the
number was 40.8 percent.

20%

10%

0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and National West Virginia
Human Services, Centers for Disease Average
data.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in West Virginia
In West Virginia in 2008, some ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
94 percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 3.8 percent
occurred to non-Hispanic blacks,
and 1.1 percent occurred to His-
panics. 94% White Non- 91.4%
Because blacks are more likely Hispanic
to have children without being
married, they account for a
slightly larger share of all out-of-
wedlock births. Even so, the over-
whelming majority of unwed
births occur to white non-
Hispanic women.
In West Virginia in 2008, 91.4
percent of all non-marital births
were to non-Hispanic whites, 6.8
percent were to black non-
Hispanic women, and 1.2 percent
Black
were to Hispanics. Non-Hispanic
3.8% 6.8%
1.1% Hispanic 1.2%
Human Services, Centers for Disease 1.1% Asian/Other 0.6%
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Five Times More Likely to Be Poor in
West Virginia
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
40%
For example, in 2009, the pov- 36%
erty rate for married white families 35%
in West Virginia was 7.2 percent.
But the poverty rate for non-
30%
married white families was ﬁve
times higher at 36 percent.
25%

20%

15%

10% 7.2%

5%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Four Times More Likely to Be Poor in
West Virginia
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in West
Virginia was 9.8 percent, while the
50%
poverty rate for non-married black
families was over four times 41.9%
higher at 41.9 percent.
40%

30%

20%

9.8%
10%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in West Virginia
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in West
Virginia was 13.4 percent, while
40%
the poverty rate among non-
35.4%
married families was nearly three
times higher at 35.4 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15% 13.4%

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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ernment, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
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As policy entrepreneurs, we believe the most effective solutions are consistent with those ideas and values.

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Marriage and Poverty - West Virginia

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