The Big Answer

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Single women heads of households includes women with families, living alone, or with others.

In 1988 over 25 million women headed their own households. That's 28 percent of America's then 91 million households. In 2010 nearly 36 million women headed their own households. That's 30.9 percent of America's 116,716,292 households.

Women headed 46 percent of black households in 1987, and 30.1% in 2010

Women headed 46 percent of black households in 1987, and 30.1% in 2010, which is more than the 28.5% of black households composed of heterosexual married couples.

The illegitimacy rate in 1990 was at 40 percent in the U.S., according to the census bureau. The proportion of all births to unmarried women was 40.8 percent in 2010, slightly lower than in 2009 (which reached a rate of 41.0 percent).

Seventy-seven percent of single-parent families are headed by women between ages 25 and 45 in 1988, and 85% of single-parent families are headed by women in 2011. Of women who head families with no children, 63 percent are 55 and older. The majority of women (52 percent) who live alone are 65 or older.

The majority of women (52 percent) who live alone are 65 or older

In 2010:
  69.4% of American children live with both parents
  23.1% of American children live with their mother only
  3.4% of American children live with their father only
  4.1% of American children live with neither parent
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

In 1988:
  Of female householders who live with nonrelatives, 63 percent are under age 35.
  Two thirds of black and Hispanic female-headed households are family households. While only 36 percent of white female-headed households are families.
  Fifty-seven percent of white women who head households live alone, while only 31 percent of black women householders and 27 percent of Hispanic women householders live alone.
  Half of female householders own their homes. The other half rent. Seventy-five percent own at least one car.
  One fourth of female householders have never married, one-fourth are divorced, and 11 percent are separated from their husbands.
(Source: Crispell, Diane, "Women in Charge," American Demographics, September 1989, pp. 27-29.)