Marriage and Poverty - Wisconsin

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

When the federal government’s 36.7%
War on Poverty began in 1964, 35%
only 4.1 percent of children in
Wisconsin were born out of wed- 30%
lock. However, over the next four
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, 36.7 percent of births in 25%
Wisconsin occurred outside of
marriage. 20%

15%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty 10%
led to the creation of more than three
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7 5%
trillion on means-tested aid to the poor
since 1964.
0%
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 Wisconsin heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin. In 1964, about 96 90%
percent of births occurred to
married couples.
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 63.3 80%
percent of births in Wisconsin
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) 63.3%
equals 100 percent of all births.
60%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.


In Wisconsin, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 88 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 50%
high levels of child poverty in
Wisconsin.
Some 36 percent of single moth-
40%
ers with children are poor com- 36%
pared to 4.2 percent of married
couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are nearly nine times
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar- 20%
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of
the mothers and the lower income 4.2%
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


One-Third of All Families with Children in Wisconsin Are Not Married

Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in Wisconsin. Nearly
one-third are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
31.4%

Married
Families
68.6%

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


In Wisconsin, 77 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Wisconsin, more than
three-quarters are not married. By
contrast, only 23 percent of poor
families with children are headed
Married
by married couples.
Families
22.7%

Unmarried
Families
77.3%



In Wisconsin, 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 6.7 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Wiscon- Under
sin occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
6.7%
By contrast, some 77 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to
Age
young adult women between the 30–54: Age
ages of 18 and 29. 15.9% 18–19:
14.1%

Age
25–29:
23.2%
Age
20–24:
40.1%
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%
porting children by themselves: those 8.1% Unmarried
with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who
80%
42%
are high school dropouts, about 65.2
percent of all births occur outside
54.5%
70% Married
marriage. Among women who have 65.2% 91.9%
Mothers
only a high school diploma, well over 60%
half of all births occur outside mar-
riage. By contrast, among women 50%
with at least a college degree, only
40%
8.1 percent of births are out of wed- 58%
lock. 30%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 45.5%
births and maternal education are not 20%
available in Wisconsin. However, the 34.8%
pattern varies little between states. 10%
Wisconsin 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.


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in Wisconsin
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. 70%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 60% 58.6%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Wisconsin, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 40%
diploma is 34.4 percent, but the 34.4%
poverty rate for a married couple 30% 27.3%
family headed by an individual
who, similarly, has only a high 20% 18.0%
school degree is far lower at
5.2 percent. 10.1%
10%
5.2% 3.2%
On average, marriage drops the 1.2%
poverty rate by about 83 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 Wisconsin
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
In 2008, 36.3 percent of
80% 83.9%
births in Wisconsin occurred 8.3%
outside marriage. The rate was 70%
lowest among non-Hispanic
whites at about one in four 60%
births (27.9 percent). Among 53.8%
Hispanics, well over half of
50%
births were out of wedlock.
Among blacks, more than ﬁve
in every six births were to 40% 36.3%
unmarried women (83.9 per-
cent). 30% 27.9%

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


Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in Wisconsin, 1935–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
100%
more frequent among blacks than
among whites. However, prior to Black Non-
the onset of the federal Hispanic
government’s War on Poverty in 83.9%
80%
1964, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low.
In 1964, less than one in thirty
(3.2 percent) white children were 60% Hispanic
born outside marriage. By 2008, 53.8%
the number had risen to about one
in four (27.9 percent).
40%
In 1964, about one in four black
children (25.4 percent) were born White Non-
outside marriage. By 2008, the Hispanic
number had risen to over ﬁve in 27.9%
20%
every six (83.9 percent).

0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Bureau, and National Center for Health
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin in 2008, some ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
74.5 percent of all births occurred
to non-Hispanic whites, 10 per-
cent occurred to non-Hispanic
blacks, and 9.8 percent occurred
to Hispanics.
Because blacks and Hispanics
are more likely to have children 74.5% White Non- 57.2%
without being married, they Hispanic
account for disproportionately
larger shares of all out-of-wedlock
births. Even so, the largest number
of unwed births are to white non-
Hispanic women.
In Wisconsin in 2008, 57.2
percent of all non-marital births 23.1%
were to non-Hispanic whites, 23.1
percent were to black non- 10.0% Black Non-
Hispanic women, and 14.5 percent Hispanic
were to Hispanics. 9.8% Hispanic 14.5%

Source: U.S. Department of Health and 5.7% Asian/Other 5.2%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Ten Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Wisconsin
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
25%
22.9%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families
in Wisconsin was 2.3 percent. But
the poverty rate for non-married 20%
white families was ten times
higher at 22.9 percent.
15%

10%

5%
2.3%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Nearly Five Times More Likely to Be
Poor in Wisconsin
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Wiscon-
sin was 9.2 percent, while the
50%
poverty rate for non-married black
families was about ﬁve times 42.9%
higher at 42.9 percent.
40%

30%

20%

9.2%
10%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Wisconsin
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in Wis-
consin was 12.8 percent, while the 38.7%
40%
poverty rate among non-married
families was three times higher at
38.7 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15% 12.8%

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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