More Single Moms Now Renting, Census Data Reveals

• November 3rd 2011

by Shilpi Paul

Apartment developers may want to consider switching out swinging rooftop lounges for swing sets.

Single moms are now the fastest growing group of renters, according to an analysis of Census data conducted by real estate researchers at Property and Portfolio Research, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The wealth of data collected via the 2010 Census is revealing some some illuminating trends, and this latest morsel may be surprising to some developers and landlords.

From the Wall Street Journal:

The factors driving this growth in single-mom renters are diverse, some of which were expertly explored in The Atlantic this month by Kate Bolick. As Ms. Bolick notes, 40% of children are now born to single mothers; and marriage is happening later and later (now at 28 for men and 26 for women), or not at all. Others have noted that single moms may also prefer renting to owning a home so they can avoid maintenance headaches.

Single male renters grew at the second fastest rate, so bachelor pads are still in strong demand. Readers should note that while single moms take the top spot in regards to rate, married couples still make up the largest portion of renters, at 26 percent. Single moms and single women together, however, account for 40 percent of renters.

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• Census Data Verifies DC’s Pull For Twenty and Thirty-Somethings
• Trulia: Census Data Reveals Low Residential Vacancy in DC
• Wealthy, Educated and Segregated: Census Data Reveals Face of DC Region

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/more_single_moms_now_renting_reveals_census_data/4500.