Study: Married Mothers Are Wealthier
Over the past few years, our culture has seen a disinclination for young people to get married.
Bloomberg, a media platform that specializes in reporting on financial data, has reported in the past that single women who don’t have children are better off financially. The real data show the exact opposite, and Bloomberg could not be more wrong in its reporting.
While the rejection of marriage in our culture is multifaceted and is largely a spiritual issue, one cannot help but wonder if secular women bought into Bloomberg’s financial insight.
Data from the American Community Survey, an annual survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, revealed that it is in fact married mothers who are wealthier.
On average, married mothers have an annual household income of $133,000 while single, childless women make an average annual household income of $79,000.
As sociologist Brad Wilcox points out:
“That’s a $54K gap. Marriage is not a path to poverty. It’s a path to prosperity.”
Our culture has successfully deceived an entire generation of young women into believing that marriage and family are a burden– that they will hold us back and tie us down. When, in reality, marriage and family are the most prosperous life decisions you could ever make.
The culture has sold the lie that being a “boss babe” and going after that next promotion will give us the fulfillment and purpose we are longing for as women. Yet our purpose and fulfillment do not come from doing what the culture says to do. They come from obeying God’s call on our lives.
While marriage may not be God’s particular plan for every single woman, we can extrapolate from Scripture that marriage is something to be desired, respected, and sought after.
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” (Prov. 18:22)
“Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” (Gen. 2:18)
“House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” (Prov. 19:14)
“Let marriage be held in honor among all.” (Heb. 13:4)
Young women, do not buy the lie that marriage and family will somehow make your life meaningless or purposeless.
Not only does marriage bring objective cultural, financial, and familial stability, but it also brings a greater level of happiness and contentment that your 9-5 will never bring.
