Marriage is America's #1 weapon against childhood poverty. This presentation details the impact of marriage on the probability of child poverty in Montana.

1. Marriage:
Montana’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 • January 2012
Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society

2. Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in Montana, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Montana’s PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 50%
In 1959, just five years before
the federal government began the
War on Poverty, only 2.8 percent 40.8%
40%
of children in Montana were born
outside marriage. However, over 36.4%
the next five decades, the number
rose rapidly. By 2010, 36.4 percent 30%
of births in Montana occurred
outside of marriage. National
Montana
20%
Note: Data on non-marital births in
Montana are unavailable between
1960 and 1979. However, all states
that do have data for this period
show a rapid growth in non-marital 10%
childbearing from the mid-1960s on.
The Montana trend during this period
undoubtedly parallels the national
trend shown in the chart.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S.
Census Bureau, and National Center 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
for Health Statistics.
Chart 1 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

3. In Montana, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 80 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 50%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Montana. 45% 43.0%
Some 43 percent of single moth-
40%
ers with children were poor com-
pared to 8.5 percent of married 35%
couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are five times more likely
25%
to be poor than families in which
the parents are married. 20%
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both 15%
to the lower education levels of 8.5%
10%
the mothers and the lower income
due to the absence of the father. 5%
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 Montana heritage.org

4. In Montana, Three in Ten Families with Children Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about three in ten families with
children in Montana. Seven in ten
are single-parent families.
Unmarried
Families
30.8%
Married
Families
69.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

5. In Montana, Two-Thirds of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Montana, two-thirds
are not married. By contrast, only
33.6 percent of poor families with
children are headed by married
couples.
Married
Families
33.6%
Unmarried
Families
66.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

6. In Montana, 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 7.8 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Montana Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
7.8%
By contrast, some 79 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 13.3% Age
18–19:
16.7%
Age
25–29:
21.8%
Age
20–24:
40.4%
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 Montana heritage.org

7. Less-Educated Women Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside of Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
most frequently among the OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
women who will have the greatest 100%
6.6% Unmarried
difficulty supporting children by
90%
Mothers
themselves: those with low levels
of education. 33.8%
80%
In Montana, among women 48.0%
who are high school dropouts, 70%
71.3%
about 71.3 percent of all births 60%
occur outside marriage. Among Married
93.4%
women who have only a high 50%
Mothers
school diploma, nearly half of
births occur outside marriage. By 40%
66.2%
contrast, among women with at 30%
least a college degree, only 6.6 52.0%
percent of births are out of wed- 20%
28.7%
lock.
10%
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
data. Years) Years) Years) Years)
Chart 6 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

8. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in
Reducing Child Poverty in Montana
The poverty rate of married PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Poverty Rate of Families by
WITH CHILDREN THAT Single
couples with children is dramati- Education and Marital Status
ARE POOR Married
cally lower than the rate for house- of the Head of Household
holds headed by single parents. 70%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 61.1%
60%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Montana, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother 43.4% 41.4%
who has only a high school 40%
diploma is 43.4 percent, but the
poverty rate for a married couple 30%
family headed by an individual 24.1%
who, similarly, has only a high 20%
19.9%
school degree is far lower at 12.2 12.2%
percent. 10% 6.4%
On average, marriage drops the 2.8%
poverty rate by around 76 percent 0%
among families with the same High School High School Some College
Dropout Graduate College Graduate
education level.
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 Montana heritage.org

9. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Montana
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008 (the most recent year 73.7%
for which racial breakdown is 8.3%
available), more than one-third of 70%
all births (36.7 percent) in Mon-
tana occurred outside marriage. 60%
The rate was lowest among non- 52.8%
52.1%
Hispanic whites. Among that
50%
group, three in ten births were
non-marital.
40% 36.7%
Among Hispanics and blacks,
over half of births were out of 30.3%
wedlock. Among American Indi- 30%
ans, nearly three in every four
(73.7 percent) births were out of 20%
wedlock.
10%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 0%
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Hispanic Black American
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non- Indian
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

10. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Montana
In Montana in 2008, some 82 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
white non-Hispanics, 10.6 percent
occurred to American Indians, and
3.4 percent occurred to Hispanics.
Because American Indians,
blacks, and Hispanics are more
likely to have children without
being married, they account for
disproportionately larger shares of
all out-of-wedlock births. 82.0% White Non- 67.8%
Hispanic
In Montana in 2008, 67.8 per-
cent of all non-marital births were
to non-Hispanic whites, 21.2
percent were to American Indian
women, and 4.9 percent were to
Hispanic women.
21.2%
10.6% American Indian
Hispanic 4.9%
3.4%
0.6% 3.4% Asian/Other 5.3% 0.8%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Black Non-Hispanic
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

11. Non-Married White Families Are Seven Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Montana
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
35%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
30.9%
erty rate for married white families
in Montana was 4.4 percent. But 30%
the poverty rate for non-married
white families was seven times 25%
higher at 30.9 percent.
20%
15%
10%
5% 4.4%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

12. Non-Married American Indian Families Are Nearly Three Times
More Likely to Be Poor in Montana
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married American Indian families
in Montana was 19.7 percent,
60%
while the poverty rate among
non-married families was nearly
three times higher at 49.6 percent. 49.6%
50%
40%
30%
19.7%
20%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana heritage.org

13. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Seven Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Montana
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in Mon-
tana was 7.5 percent, while the
60%
poverty rate among non-married
families was seven times higher at 51.4%
51.4 percent. 50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 7.5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in Montana 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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