CB12-FF.11 

May 2, 2012 

Father’s Day: June 17, 2012 

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 June 

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Source: Unpublished data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation 

24.7 million 

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

2011. 

 21 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among marriedcouple 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>Table FG1 

1.7 million 

Number of single fathers in 2011; 15 percent of single parents were men. 

 Ten percent were raising three or more children younger than 18. 

 About 45 percent were divorced, 31 percent were never married, 19 percent were 

separated, and 5 percent were widowed. 

 38 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> Tables FG5 and FG6. 

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Thinking of You, Dad 

7,708 

The number of men’s clothing stores around the country (as of 2009), a good place to buy dad a 

tie or shirt. 

Source: County Business Patterns 

<http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/> code 44811 

15,734 

The number of hardware stores (as of 2009), a place to buy hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers 

and other items high on the list of Father’s Day gifts. Additionally, there were 6,897 home 

centers across the country in 2009. 

Source: County Business Patterns 

<http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/> hardware stores code 444130, home centers code 444110 

21,628 

Number of sporting goods stores in 2009. 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/> sporting goods code 451110 

79.1 million 

The number of Americans who participated in a barbecue in 2010. It’s probably safe to assume
 

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

Source: GFK Mediamark Research and Intelligence as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2012, Table 1240. 

<http://www.gfkmri.com> and <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab> 

Stay at Home Dads 

176,000 

Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2011. 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 upwards of 

332,000 children. 

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html> Table FG8 

17% 

In spring 2010, 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 2010 

<http://www.census.gov/hhes/childcare/data/sipp/2010/tables.html> 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child-Support Payments 

$1.9 billion 

Amount of child support received by custodial fathers in 2009; they were due $3.5 billion. In 

contrast, custodial mothers received $19.5 billion of the $31.7 billion in support that was due. 

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-240.pdf> 

34% 

Percentage of custodial fathers who received all child support that was due in 2009, not 

significantly different from the corresponding percentage for custodial mothers, 42 percent. 

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-240.pdf> 

70% 

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 58 percent. 

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-240.pdf> 

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

series: 

Black 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>.