1. Marriage:
Nevada’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

2. Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in Nevada, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Nevada’s PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbearing
was rare. 50%
In 1964, after the federal govern-
ment began the War on Poverty, only 44.3%
5.2 percent of children in Nevada
were born outside marriage. How- 40%
40.8%
ever, over the next five decades, the
number rose rapidly. By 2010, 44.3
percent of births in Nevada occurred Nevada
outside of marriage.
30% National
Note: Data on non-marital births in
Nevada are unavailable from 1945 to
1948 and from 1971 to 1979. How- 20%
ever, all states that do have data for this
period show a rapid growth in non-
marital childbearing from the mid-
1960s on. The Nevada trend during
this period undoubtedly parallels the 10%
national trend shown in the chart. Due
to changes in administrative proce-
dures, the Nevada data in 1995 and
1996 are unreliable.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Health Statistics.
Chart 1 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

3. In Nevada, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 78 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 35%
high levels of child poverty in
Nevada. 29.9%
30%
Some 29.9 percent of single
mothers with children were poor
compared to 6.5 percent of mar- 25%
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 20%
children are nearly five times more
likely to be poor than families in
which the parents are married. 15%
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both 10%
to the lower education levels of 6.5%
the mothers and the lower income
5%
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
Chart 2 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

4. In Nevada, One-Third of All Families with Children Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in Nevada. Over
one-third are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
34.8%
Married
Families
65.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

5. In Nevada, Two-Thirds of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Nevada, two-thirds are
not married. By contrast, only
one-third of poor families with
children are headed by married
couples.
Married
Families
33.3%
Unmarried
Families
66.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

6. In Nevada, 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 8.3 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Nevada Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
8.3%
By contrast, some 71 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to
young adult women between the Age
ages of 18 and 29. 30–54: Age
20.6% 18–19:
13.3%
Age
25–29: Age
23.9% 20–24:
33.9%
Note: Figures have been rounded.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

7. Less-Educated Women Are More Likely to Give Birth Outside
of 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
100% Unmarried
supporting children by themselves: 8.1%
those with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who 42.0%
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 65.2%
over half of all births occur outside 60% Married
91.9%
marriage. By contrast, among
50%
Mothers
women with at least a college degree,
only 8.1 percent of births are out of 40%
wedlock. 58.0%
30%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock
45.5%
births and maternal education are not 20%
available in Nevada. However, the 34.8%
pattern varies little between states. 10%
Nevada 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
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Years) Years) Years) Years)
data.
Chart 6 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

8. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in Nevada
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. 50%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 42.6%
ents with the same education level. 40%
For example, in Nevada, the
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 30%
diploma is 25 percent, but the 25.0%
poverty rate for a married couple
20% 18.1% 18.6%
family headed by an individual
who, similarly, has only a high
school degree is far lower at 10% 8.4%
6.3 percent. 6.3%
3.4% 2.3%
On average, marriage drops the
poverty rate by around 72 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.
Chart 7 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

9. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Nevada
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008 (the most recent year
for which racial breakdown is 8.3% 71.0%
available), 42.5 percent of births in 70%
Nevada occurred outside marriage.
The rate was lowest among non- 60%
Hispanic whites. Within that
group around three in ten births 50.9%
50%
were non-marital.
42.5%
Among Hispanics, about half of
40%
births were out of wedlock.
Among blacks, seven in ten were 30.4%
to unmarried women. 30%
20%
10%
0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

10. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Nevada
In Nevada in 2008, some 41.1 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 38.9 percent
occurred to Hispanics, and 9.1
percent occurred to non-Hispanic
blacks. 41.1% White Non- 29.4%
Because blacks and Hispanics Hispanic
are more likely to have children
without being married, they
account for disproportionately
larger shares of all out-of-wedlock
births.
In Nevada in 2008, 46.5 percent
of all non-marital births were to 38.9% Hispanic 46.5%
Hispanic women, 29.4 percent
were to white non-Hispanic
women, and 15.2 percent were to
black non-Hispanic women.
Black Non- 15.2%
9.1% Hispanic
8.0% Asian 5.0%
2.9% American 3.9%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Indian/Other
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

11. Non-Married White Families Are Seven Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Nevada
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
18%
16.9%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families 16%
in Nevada was 2.4 percent, but the
poverty rate for non-married white 14%
families was seven times higher at
16.9 percent. 12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2.4%
2%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

12. Non-Married Black Families Are Five Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Nevada
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Nevada
was 6.1 percent, while the poverty
35%
rate for non-married black families
was five times higher at 29.9 29.9%
percent. 30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
6.1%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

13. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Nevada
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Nevada was 10.8 percent, while
35% 33.1%
the poverty rate among non-
married families was three times
higher at 33.1 percent. 30%
25%
20%
15%
10.8%
10%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in Nevada heritage.org

14. 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.

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