Index: Demographics / Subcategory: Demographics

Children in Families- Single and Two Parents

Date updated: 12/03/2012

Chart Directory:

Family Type: A family includes a householder and one or more other people living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. (See additional information on Census definitions for households and families.) The Census classifies families as either a ''Married-couple family'' or ''Other family'' according to the presence of a spouse. A 'Married-couple family' includes families in which the householder and his or her spouse are enumerated as members of the same household. ''Other family'' is further broken out according to the sex of the householder into 'Male householder, no wife present' and 'Female householder, no husband present'.

What this chart shows: Children Living with Both Parents in the United States, Colorado, Larimer County, Fort Collins & Loveland, Census 2000 v. 2009-2011 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates

 

Data Source: United States Census (Table P046 Census 2000; Table B23008 2009-2011 American Community Survey)

See data table

What the above data tell us:

Since 2000, the trend in the nation, state, and county has been fewer children living with both parents. With respect to Fort Collins and Loveland, both followed the national and state trend, with Loveland seeing a larger decrease in the percentage of children living in two-parent households.

In 2009-2011, Fort Collins had the highest percentage of children living in two-parent households (79%), compared to 66% in the United States, 71% in Colorado, 76% in Larimer County, and 68% in Loveland.

What this chart shows: Children Under 18 Living in Single-Parent Households in the United States, Colorado, Larimer County, Fort Collins & Loveland, Census 2000 v. 2009-2011 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates

 

Data Source: United States Census (Table P046 Census 2000; Table B23008 2009-2011 American Community Survey)

See data table

What the above data tell us:

In 2009-2011 more children were living in single-parent households than in 2000. This was true in the nation, state, county and Fort Collins and Loveland. As a whole, Larimer County has fewer single-parent households than either the United States or Colorado.

What this chart shows: Children Living in Two-Parent Households by Parental Labor Force Status in Larimer County, 2009-2011 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates

 

Data Source: United States Census (Table B23008)

See data table

What the above data tell us:

Children over six years old were much more likely to have both their parents in the labor force; with children in school, the cost of child care decreases and opportunities for employment increase. Families with young children may find it more cost effective to have one parent stay home rather than pay the cost of child care, which may explain why 37% of children under 6 had only their father in the labor force. Only 2% of all children under 18 had only their mother in the labor force, double the percentage of children under 18 with neither parent in the labor force.

Additional Information:

Labor force: All people classified in the civilian labor force (i.e., ''employed'' and ''unemployed'' people), plus members of the U.S. Armed Forces (people on active duty with the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard).

Not in labor force: All people 16 years old and over who are not classified as members of the labor force. This category consists mainly of students, individuals taking care of home or family, retired workers, seasonal workers enumerated in an off-season who were not looking for work, institutionalized people (all institutionalized people are placed in this category regardless of any work activities they may have done in the reference week), and people doing only incidental unpaid family work (fewer than 15 hours during the reference week).

Family & Household definitions: All people in a household who are related to the householder are regarded as members of his or her family. A family household may contain people not related to the householder, but those people are not included as part of the householder's family in census tabulations. Thus, the number of family households is equal to the number of families, but family households may include more members than do families. A household can contain only one family for purposes of census tabulations. Not all households contain families since a household may be comprised of a group of unrelated people or of one person living alone.

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Data Tables:

Children Living with Both Parents

 

2000 Census

2009-2011 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates
United States

71.8%

65.7%
Colorado

76.0%

71.0%
Larimer County

80.8%

76.1%
Fort Collins

80.3%

78.6%
Loveland

79.3%

68.0%

See chart

Children Living in Single-Parent Households

 

2000 Census

2009-2011 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates
United States

28.2%

34.3%
Colorado

24.0%

29.0%
Larimer County

19.2%

23.9%
Fort Collins

19.7%

21.4%
Loveland

20.7%

32.0%

See chart

Children Living in Two-Parent Households by Workforce Status, 2009-2011 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates

Two-Parent Families

Larimer County

Under age 6

Age 6 - 17

#

%

#

%

Both parent in labor force

9,366

60.2%

21,979

69.1%

Father only in labor force

5,799

37.0%

8,797

27.7%

Mother only in labor force

237

1.5%

726

2.3%

Neither parent in labor force

200

1.3%

300

0.9%

See chart