Correlates of marital status among African American mothers in Chicago neighborhoods of concentrated poverty

Changing trends in family formation patterns have captured national attention. African American households are increasingly headed by never-married women. This trend is problematic in that households headed by never-married mothers experience more persistent poverty and longer spells of welfare receipt than do other types of mother-only households. Analyzing data from 1,033 African American mothers residing in Chicago's high-povertv neighborhoods, logistic models predict likelihood of nonmarriage. Results indicate that household income, time on Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and number of children are the strongest predictor of nonmarriage. These conclusions support previous findings that never-married mothers suffer more severe economic hardship, compared with formerly married mothers.