CB11-FF.11

 April 20, 2011

 

Father’s Day: June 19, 2011

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of 

Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special 

day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his 

six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration —

101 years ago, June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of 

Smart’s birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when 

President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day 

has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law 

that made it permanent.

How Many Fathers?

70.1 million

Estimated number of fathers across the nation. 

Source: Unpublished data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation

25.3 million

Number of fathers who were part of married-couple families with children younger than 18 in 

2010.

● 22 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple 

family households only).

● 3 percent lived in someone else’s home.

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>
1.8 million

Number of single fathers in 2010; 15 percent of single parents were men. 

● Nine percent were raising three or more children younger than 18. 

● About 46 percent were divorced, 30 percent were never married, 19 percent were 

separated, and 6 percent were widowed. 

● 39 percent had an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

Thinking of You, Dad

8,111

The number of men’s clothing stores around the country (as of 2008), a good place to buy dad a 

tie or shirt. 

Source: County Business Patterns <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

16,010

The number of hardware stores (as of 2008), a place to buy hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers 

and other items high on the list of Father’s Day gifts. Additionally, there were 7,009 home 

centers across the country in 2008. 

Source: County Business Patterns <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

22,116

Number of sporting goods stores in 2008. These stores are good places to purchase traditional 

gifts for dad, such as fishing rods and golf clubs. 

Source: County Business Patterns <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

81.5 million

The number of Americans who participated in a barbecue in the last year — it’s probably safe to 

assume many of these barbecues took place on Father’s Day. 

Source: Mediamark Research & Intelligence, as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United 

States: 2011 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>, Table 1239
Mr. Mom

154,000

Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2010. These married fathers with children younger 

than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for 

the family while their wives work outside the home. These fathers cared for 287,000 children. 

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

16%

In spring 2005, the percentage of preschoolers regularly cared for by their father during their 

mother’s working hours. 

Source: Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005/Summer 2006

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb10-123.html> 

Child-Support Payments

$2.8 billion

Amount of child support received by custodial fathers in 2007; they were due 

$4.3 billion. In contrast, custodial mothers received $18.6 billion of the $29.8 billion 

in support that was due.

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-237.pdf>

45%

Percentage of custodial fathers who received all child support that was due in 2007, not 

significantly different from the corresponding percentage for custodial mothers. 

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-237.pdf>

67%

Percentage of custodial fathers receiving noncash support, such as gifts or coverage of expenses, 

on behalf of their children. The corresponding proportion for mothers was 56 percent. 

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-237.pdf>

Time with Daddy

53% and 71%

Percentages of children younger than 6 who ate breakfast and dinner, respectively, with their 

father every day in 2006. The corresponding percentages who ate with their mother were 
58 percent and 80 percent. (The percentages of children who ate breakfast with their mother or 

father, respectively, were not significantly different from each another.)

Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/2006_detailedtables.html>

36%

Percentage of children younger than 6 who had 15 or more outings with their father in the last 

month, as of 2006.

Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/2006_detailedtables.html>

6

Average times children ages 3 to 5 were read to by their fathers in the past week, as of 2006.

Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/2006_detailedtables.html>

66%

Percentage of children younger than 6 who were praised three or more times a day by their 

fathers. 

Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/2006_detailedtables.html>

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February) Labor Day 

Super Bowl Grandparents Day 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Women’s History Month (March) Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ Halloween (Oct. 31)

 St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) (November) 

Older Americans Month (May) Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) Thanksgiving Day 

Mother’s Day The Holiday Season (December) 

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)

Back to School (August)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an 

observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to 

the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: 

<pio@census.gov>.