Marriage Poverty - Virginia

Marriage:
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 Virginia, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Virginia’s PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 40%

When the federal government’s 35.5%
War on Poverty began in 1964, 35%
only 8.8 percent of children in
Virginia were born out of wedlock.
However, over the next four 30%
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, over one in three births
in Virginia occurred outside of 25%
marriage.
20%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon 15%
Johnson in 1963, the War on Poverty
led to the creation of more than three
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7 10%
trillion on means-tested aid to the poor
since 1964.
5%
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 Virginia heritage.org

Death of Marriage in 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 Virginia. In 1964, more than 91 90%
percent of births occurred to
married couples.
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 64.5 per- 80%
cent of births in Virginia occurred
to married couples.

70%

Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2) 64.5%
equals 100 percent of all births.
60%
Statistics.


In Virginia, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 86 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 40%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Virginia.
Some 30.4 percent of single 30.4%
mothers with children were poor 30%
compared to 4.4 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with
children are about seven times
20%
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar-
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
10%
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of 4.4%
the mothers and the lower income
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


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

Unmarried
Families
31.3%
Married
Families
68.7%

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


In Virginia, 74 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married

Among poor families with
children in Virginia, 74 percent are
not married. By contrast, only
one-quarter of poor families with
children are headed by married
Married
couples. Families
26.5%

Unmarried
Families
73.5%



In Virginia, 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 6.1 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Virginia Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
6.1%
By contrast, some 77 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to
Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. Age
17.3% 18–19:
14.0%

Age
25–29:
23.7%
Age
20–24:
38.9%
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 most PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
frequently among the women who OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
will have the greatest difﬁculty sup- 100%
8.1% Unmarried
porting children by themselves: those
90%
Mothers
with low levels of education.
In the U.S., among women who are
42.0%
80%
high school dropouts, about 65.2 54.5%
percent of all births occur outside 70%
65.2%
marriage. Among women who have 60%
only a high school diploma, well over 91.9%
half of all births occur outside mar- 50%
Married
riage. By contrast, among women Mothers
with at least a college degree, only 8.1 40%
58.0%
percent of births are out of wedlock. 30%
45.5%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 20%
34.8%
births and maternal education are not
available in Virginia. However, the pattern 10%
varies little between states.Virginia data will
be very similar to the national data 0%
presented in this chart. High School High School Some College Mother’s
Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
(0–11 (12 (13–15 (16+ level
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS data. Years) Years) Years) Years)


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in 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. 60%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 52.7%
ents with the same education level. 50%

For example, in Virginia, the
poverty rate for a single mother 40%
who has only a high school 32.5%
diploma is 32.5 percent, but the 30%
poverty rate for a married couple
22.2%
family headed by an individual
who, similarly, has only a high
20% 17.8%
school degree is far lower at 10.3%
6.2 percent. 10%
6.2%
On average, marriage drops the 3.1% 1.3%
poverty rate by around 80 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 Virginia
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008, more than one in three
births (35.8 percent) in Virginia 8.3%
occurred outside marriage. The 70% 66.8%
rate was lowest among non-
Hispanic whites at nearly one in 60%
four births (23.9 percent). Among
Hispanics, over half of births were 51.4%
50%
out-of-wedlock. Among blacks,
over two in every three births were
to unmarried women (66.8 per- 40% 35.8%
cent).
30%
23.9%
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 Virginia, 1929–2008
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%
66.8%
government’s War on Poverty in
1964, the rates for both whites and
60%
blacks were comparatively low.
Hispanic
In 1964, around one in thirty 51.4%
50%
(3.2 percent) white children were
born outside marriage. By 2008,
the number had risen to nearly 40%
than one in four (23.9 percent).
In 1964, over one in four black 30% White Non-
children (26.2 percent) were born Hispanic
outside marriage. By 2008, the 23.9%
20%
number had risen to two-thirds
(66.8 percent).
10%
Note: No data is available for 1979.
0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Virginia
In Virginia in 2008, some 57.6 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births (both marital
and non-marital) occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 13.4 percent
occurred to Hispanics, and 21.8
percent to non-Hispanic blacks.
Because black and Hispanic 57.6% White Non- 38.4%
people are more likely to have Hispanic
children without being married, a
disproportionate share of all out-
of-wedlock births occur to those
groups. Nonetheless, the largest
number of out-of-wedlock births
still occur to white non-Hispanic 40.6%
women.
Black Non-
In Virginia in 2008, 38.4 percent 21.8%
Hispanic
of all non-marital births were to
non-Hispanic whites, 19.2 percent
were to Hispanics, and 40.6 per- 13.4% Hispanic
cent were to black non-Hispanic 19.2%
women.
7.2% 1.8%
Asian/Other
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Nearly Seven Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Virginia
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics in Virginia.
25%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
22.0%
erty rate for married white families
in Virginia was 3.2 percent. But
the poverty rate for non-married 20%
white families was nearly seven
times higher at 22 percent.
15%

10%

5%
3.2%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Five Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Virginia
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Virginia
was 7 percent, while the poverty
40%
rate for non-married black families
35.6%
was ﬁve times higher at 35.6
percent.

30%

20%

10%
7.0%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Nearly Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Virginia
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Virginia was 13.2 percent, while
40% 37.9%
the poverty rate among non-
married families was nearly three
times higher at 37.9 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15% 13.2%

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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