Program Eligibility Thresholds

• SNAP: Generally ≤130% FPL (gross income)
• Medicaid: Varies by state; typically ≤138% FPL (post-ACA expansion)
• WIC: ≤185% FPL and pregnant/postpartum women or children under 5
• TANF: Typically ≤50% FPL (varies significantly by state)
• EITC: Phase-out varies by family size; roughly $63,398 for family with 3+ children (2024)
• CTC: More universal; phase-out begins at $200k (single) / $400k (married)

Why 25 Years?

This dashboard examines trends over a 25-year period to distinguish long-term structural changes from short-term fluctuations. A multi-decade view captures shifts in family formation, labor markets, and social policy implementation, allowing users to assess whether observed changes reflect persistent trends or temporary shocks. This timeframe also spans multiple economic cycles and policy regimes, providing critical context for understanding how single parents' economic security and program participation have evolved over time.

Data Source

This dashboard uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), accessed through IPUMS CPS (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series). The dataset covers survey years 2000–2025, representing income and poverty reference years 1999–2024.

Note on Data Years: CPS ASEC interviews are conducted each spring and ask about income, poverty, and program participation from the prior calendar year. All years displayed in this dashboard reflect the reference year (when income was earned and programs were used), which is the standard convention used by the Census Bureau and other research organizations.

Citation: Sarah Flood, Miriam King, Renae Rodgers, Steven Ruggles, J. Robert Warren, Daniel Backman, Annie Chen, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, Megan Schouweiler, and Michael Westberry. IPUMS CPS: Version 11.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2023. https://doi.org/10.18128/D030.V11.0

Study Population

Single Parents: Adults aged 15–50 who are unmarried (separated, divorced, widowed, or never married) and have at least one minor child (under age 18) in the household.

Single parent status is determined using marital status, number of children in household, relationship to household head, and parent identifiers to verify custodial status.

Variable Definitions

• Poverty Status: Whether family income falls below the official federal poverty threshold for the family's size
• Employment: Currently employed (at work or temporarily absent from job)
• Median Household Income: Total family income from all sources; extreme top-coded values excluded
• Educational Attainment: Highest degree completed (Bachelor's degree or higher)
• Race/Ethnicity: Mutually exclusive categories—Hispanic (any race), or non-Hispanic Asian, Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, or White
• SNAP: Household received food stamps/SNAP benefits in previous year
• Medicaid: Individual covered by Medicaid at any point during the year
• EITC: Household received Earned Income Tax Credit
• CTC: Household received Child Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit
• TANF: Household received cash welfare/public assistance income
• WIC: Household received WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) benefits

Program Eligibility Estimation

Eligibility rates shown on program charts are income-based estimates calculated from family income relative to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). These estimates capture who would likely qualify based on income alone:

• SNAP: Family income at or below 130% of FPL
• Medicaid: Family income at or below 138% of FPL (ACA expansion threshold)
• TANF: Family income at or below 50% of FPL
• WIC: Family income at or below 185% of FPL AND youngest child under age 5
• EITC: Has any earned income (wages, self-employment, or farm income)
• CTC: Has children and family income below $200,000 (phase-out threshold)

Important: These are simplified income-based estimates. Actual program eligibility may be more restrictive due to asset tests, work requirements, time limits, immigration status, state-specific rules, and categorical requirements not captured in survey data. The gap between eligibility and participation may reflect administrative barriers, lack of awareness, stigma, or policy restrictions beyond income thresholds.

Weighting & Aggregation

All estimates use ASEC supplement weights to produce nationally and state-representative statistics. For 2014, weights were adjusted by 50% to correct for Census Bureau overweighting in that survey year.

Population counts represent weighted totals. Rates (poverty, employment, program participation) are calculated as weighted averages. Median income is computed using weighted percentiles.

Dashboard Functionality

The dashboard uses Chart.js for interactive visualizations and PapaParse for CSV data processing. JavaScript dynamically filters and aggregates pre-computed statistics based on user-selected demographics.

Chart Creation: Each chart displays time trends (1999–2024) for the selected demographic group. Charts update automatically when filters change.

Text Interpretations: Narrative text is generated dynamically based on actual data patterns. For small samples (< 2,000 population or < 10 years of data), text focuses on factual observations. For larger samples, text provides policy-relevant analysis.

Disaggregation: Clicking chart titles reveals race/ethnicity breakdowns. Users can compare 1-2 racial/ethnic groups at a time.

Data Processing Workflow

1. Extract IPUMS CPS data for survey years 2000–2025 (representing income/poverty reference years 1999–2024)
2. Define single parent population (unmarried adults 15–50 with minor children)
3. Create demographic and economic dimensions (race, sex, marital status, education, income, employment, family size)
4. Calculate program eligibility flags based on income relative to Federal Poverty Level
5. Calculate weighted statistics for each year × geography × demographic combination
6. Export aggregated data to CSV file (250,000+ rows)
7. Load into JavaScript dashboard for interactive filtering and visualization

Demographic Distribution Charts

The Population by Race & Ethnicity and Marital Status Distribution charts display aggregated data across the full 1999–2024 study period rather than a single year. This approach provides more stable estimates, particularly for smaller demographic groups or geographic areas where single-year samples may be unreliable.

Percentages represent the share of total single parent person-years observed across all survey years. For example, if a state shows "60% Black," this means 60% of all single parent observations in that state over 25 years were Black single parents. This method smooths year-to-year sampling variation while accurately reflecting the demographic composition of the population studied.

Limitations & Considerations

• Small Sample Sizes: Specific demographic combinations (e.g., state + race + sex + marital status) may have few survey respondents, producing unstable estimates
• Missing 2025 Data: Some demographic groups lack sufficient 2025 observations (< 30 respondents). Dashboard shows most recent available year
• Survey Design: CPS is a household survey; institutionalized populations and individuals experiencing homelessness are not included
• Program Participation: Self-reported program participation may undercount actual enrollment due to recall error or stigma
• Income Measurement: Income is pretax and does not include non-cash benefits (e.g., SNAP, housing subsidies)