Female-Headed Households – Wisconsin

Census shows big jump in women-led families in Wisconsin, By Dan Simmons and Nick Heynen, May 12, 2011, Wisconsin State Journal: “When Ally Moll had her daughter three years ago, she felt isolated. Her family lives in Florida and New York, and the girl’s father was out of the picture. So the Madison woman took her plight to an online classifieds board: ‘I’m a new mom and I’m alone. Does anyone want to hang out?’ It led to connections with many other moms in her situation and monthly social gatherings that continue today, perhaps not surprising given that the last decade brought a dramatic increase in women-led families here and across Wisconsin. In the state, the number of families headed by women with children and no husband increased 13 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to Census figures released Thursday. In Dane County, they’re up 23 percent. In Madison, it’s 22 percent. The data show a further decline in the traditional nuclear family approach, with married couples with kids comprising 19 percent of total Wisconsin households in 2010, down from 24 percent in 2000…”