The number of women in the United States who were unmarried when they gave birth during 2023 declined to about 1.2 million, about a 15% decline in just more than a decade.
A U.S. Census Bureau report found almost one-third, or 30.9%, of the 4 million women ages 15 to 50 who gave birth in 2023 were unmarried. In 2011, 35.7% or 1.5 million of the 4.1 million in that age group who gave birth during the prior year were also unmarried.
Some of the differences in geographic patterns could be related to socioeconomic characteristics such as poverty and income, which vary by state and county.
The national decline in unmarried women having babies is mirrored in most states. Numbers remained statistically unchanged in states where births did not decrease.
Eight states in the South — Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia — had higher levels of recent births to unmarried women than the national level.
In contrast, six states in the Midwest — Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin — as well as four in the Northeast — New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont — along with four in the West — Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Washington — had lower levels of recent births to unmarried women than the nation.
Just one state in the South — Virginia — had lower than national levels.
The picture is more complex at the metropolitan statistical area level.
Areas with higher-than-average percentages of unmarried women who gave birth in 2023 were in the South, parts of the Midwest, California and Puerto Rico.
Brunswick-St. Simons, Ga., had among the highest percentage at 70.7%.
Metropolitan statistical areas with a lower-than-average percentage were scattered throughout the nation, but had higher concentrations in the Northeast, parts of the Midwest and West.
Pocatello, Idaho, had among the lowest percentage of unmarried women — 6.2% — with a recent birth.
Courtesy Graphic Map: U.S. Census Bureau website- Courtesy Graphic Map: U.S. Census Bureau website
Some of the differences in geographic patterns could be related to socioeconomic characteristics such as poverty and income, which vary by state and county.
The report shows a strong positive correlation at the state level between percentage of unmarried women with a recent birth and percentage of people in households below the poverty line.
Varying state marriage rates are another factor.
For example, Washington, D.C., Colorado and Nebraska had among the nation’s highest marriage rates in 2022 while New Mexico and Puerto Rico had among the lowest.
It is worth noting that several of the metropolitan statistical areas that had among the lowest percentages of unmarried women with a recent birth are home to large state universities:
- Amherst Town-Northampton, Mass. (University of Massachusetts Amherst).
- Logan, Utah (Utah State University).
- Provo-Orem-Lehigh, Utah (Utah Valley University).
- Ames, Iowa (Iowa State University).
- Lawrence, Kan. (University of Kansas).
This aligns with previous research that found women with higher education — a bachelor’s degree or higher — or who are economically advantaged are more likely to be married.
Recent U.S. Census Bureau research shows women with a first birth between 2020 and 2024 with a bachelor’s degree were more likely to be married than those without a degree.
NOTE: The U.S. percentage differs between state and metropolitan statistical area tables and figures because state data come from the 2023 American Community Survey 1-year estimates and the metropolitan statistical area data come from the 2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
Click here for guidance and information about differences between the two files.
