Married Parents Are Still the Norm for Kids in Immigrant Families
Children in immigrant families are more likely to grow up in married-couple households when compared to their peers in U.S.-born families.
In 2016, 75% of kids in immigrant families — 13.7 million children total — lived with their married parents. Just 62% of kids in U.S.-born families fit this statistic.
The percentage of children growing up in married-couple households varies by state. For kids in immigrant families, this rate ranges from a high of 85% in Michigan and New Hampshire to a low of 70% in Florida and New Mexico. The corresponding range for kids in U.S.-born families is wider — topping out at 82% in Utah and dipping to a low of 53% in Louisiana.
Generally speaking, children raised in two-parent households have fewer emotional and behavioral issues, better health outcomes and better access to health care than do children who grow up in single-parent families.
Access more family and community data by family nativity on the KIDS COUNT Data Center:
