States Where Stay-at-Home Parents Are Most Common – 2026 Study

Whether a family opts to keep a parent at home to raise the children or uses local child care services for support will hinge on a variety of circumstances. Often, the first question is if a household can afford to support everyone with just a single income. This may in turn be dependent on the local job market, credentials and skillsets of the parents, and how the couple views the tradeoffs between their time, career development, and children’s upbringing style. 

On the other side of the equation, the price and availability of local child care spots may also influence the decision of whether both parents will work or not. With a nationwide shortage of child care professionals amid strict state-mandated supervision ratios paired with relatively low income for the childcare profession, many households may be feeling a lot of pressure with this question.

Across the nation, the share of households with a stay at home parent has slightly increased over the five years between 2019 and 2024, going from 62.6% of two-parent households to 63.8%. 

With these trends in mind, Playground evaluated the latest household data in each U.S. state to determine the U.S. states based on the percentage of two-parent households where one parent is staying home to raise the children.

Key Findings

• Half of families with young children have a stay-at-home parent in these two states. Idaho and Utah have the most stay-at-home parents nationwide at 49.07% and 49.06% of two-parent families, respectively. Idaho also has the highest rate of two-parent households overall, with just over 82.1% of the 134,183 children under age five living with both parents. 

• Massachusetts has the fewest stay-at-home parents. Only 26.3% of two-parent households keep a parent at home to watch over young children – the lowest rate of stay-at-home parents nationwide. This is likely related to Bay State households with both parents working bringing in a median $164,931 annually, the highest median income across two-earners nationwide.

• Stay-at-home parents have the greatest opportunity costs in these states. Across the U.S., the average family with two working parents bring in roughly 78% more income than those with just one earner, indicating that one parent usually has less earning potential. But in Mississippi and New York, two-earner families earn 100% more than their one-stay-at-home-parent counterparts. This asymmetry might lead more families to choose to send young children to daycare services compared to other states.

• Delaware households are seeing the biggest decline in stay-at-home parents. Over a five-year period, the frequency of two-parent households where one stays home with the children decreased from 40.7% to 31.5%, while the rate of two-parent households stayed nearly constant. 

• 17 states have more stay-at-home parents now than pre-pandemic. North Dakota saw the biggest increase in the rate of stay-at-home parents during the same time period, jumping up from 24.0% in 2019 to 28.9% in 2024. Other states where there are now more stay-at-home-parents include Idaho, Rhode Island, Nebraska, Vermont, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Stay-at-Home Parent Prevalence by State

States are ranked based on the percentage of two-parent households with children aged five and under where one parent stays at home to care for the children.

1. Idaho

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 49.07%

   • Children aged five and under: 134,183

   • Young children in two-parent households: 77.80%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 50.93%

   • Median family income with one earner: $71,531

   • Median family income with two earners: $112,466

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 22.20%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.65%

2. Utah

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 49.06%

   • Children aged five and under: 278,830

   • Young children in two-parent households: 82.13%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 50.94%

   • Median family income with one earner: $85,644

   • Median family income with two earners: $117,724

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 17.87%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 15.08%

3. Alaska

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 45.36%

   • Children aged five and under: 54,621

   • Young children in two-parent households: 69.73%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 54.64%

   • Median family income with one earner: $83,617

   • Median family income with two earners: $138,063

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 30.27%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 37.65%

4. New Mexico

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 44.96%

   • Children aged five and under: 127,345

   • Young children in two-parent households: 56.40%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 55.04%

   • Median family income with one earner: $64,537

   • Median family income with two earners: $110,685

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 43.60%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 28.07%

5. Arizona

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 43.37%

   • Children aged five and under: 459,037

   • Young children in two-parent households: 62.94%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 56.63%

   • Median family income with one earner: $72,039

   • Median family income with two earners: $121,237

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 37.06%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 21.08%

6. Washington

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 43.08%

   • Children aged five and under: 501,266

   • Young children in two-parent households: 73.80%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 56.92%

   • Median family income with one earner: $86,314

   • Median family income with two earners: $153,638

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 26.20%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 18.41%

7. Texas

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 42.96%

   • Children aged five and under: 2,248,202

   • Young children in two-parent households: 65.93%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 57.04%

   • Median family income with one earner: $65,123

   • Median family income with two earners: $121,443

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 34.07%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.52%

8. Oklahoma

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 42.62%

   • Children aged five and under: 283,956

   • Young children in two-parent households: 65.32%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 57.38%

   • Median family income with one earner: $59,611

   • Median family income with two earners: $106,967

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 34.68%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 22.61%

9. West Virginia

   • Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 42.37%

   • Children aged five and under: 98,960

   • Young children in two-parent households: 63.19%

   • Two-parent households with both parents working: 57.63%

   • Median family income with one earner: $62,270

   • Median family income with two earners: $107,137

   • Young children in a single-parent household: 36.81%

   • Single-parent households where parent stays home: 28.47%

10. Tennessee

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 40.96%

• Children aged five and under: 468,521

• Young children in two-parent households: 65.56%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 59.04%

• Median family income with one earner: $62,339

• Median family income with two earners: $112,398

• Young children in a single-parent household: 34.44%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 22.03%

11. Nevada

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 40.77%

• Children aged five and under: 202,042

• Young children in two-parent households: 60.75%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 59.23%

• Median family income with one earner: $70,370

• Median family income with two earners: $115,574

• Young children in a single-parent household: 39.25%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 21.68%

12. Arkansas

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 39.75%

• Children aged five and under: 206,275

• Young children in two-parent households: 63.75%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 60.25%

• Median family income with one earner: $56,923

• Median family income with two earners: $105,821

• Young children in a single-parent household: 36.25%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 31.07%

13. South Carolina

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 39.62%

• Children aged five and under: 332,313

• Young children in two-parent households: 61.66%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 60.38%

• Median family income with one earner: $63,146

• Median family income with two earners: $115,689

• Young children in a single-parent household: 38.34%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.59%

14. Alabama

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 39.62%

• Children aged five and under: 334,456

• Young children in two-parent households: 61.04%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 60.38%

• Median family income with one earner: $62,672

• Median family income with two earners: $111,860

• Young children in a single-parent household: 38.96%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 26.04%

15. North Carolina

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 39.51%

• Children aged five and under: 693,193

• Young children in two-parent households: 65.55%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 60.49%

• Median family income with one earner: $65,396

• Median family income with two earners: $120,127

• Young children in a single-parent household: 34.45%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 18.64%

16. Oregon

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 39.02%

• Children aged five and under: 241,851

• Young children in two-parent households: 71.40%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 60.98%

• Median family income with one earner: $77,061

• Median family income with two earners: $133,176

• Young children in a single-parent household: 28.60%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 20.75%

17. Michigan

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 38.75%

• Children aged five and under: 632,167

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.09%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 61.25%

• Median family income with one earner: $65,625

• Median family income with two earners: $121,008

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.91%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 25.30%

18. California

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 38.60%

• Children aged five and under: 2,507,866

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.36%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 61.40%

• Median family income with one earner: $77,221

• Median family income with two earners: $144,341

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.64%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 19.15%

19. Kentucky

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 38.35%

• Children aged five and under: 302,718

• Young children in two-parent households: 66.61%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 61.65%

• Median family income with one earner: $60,071

• Median family income with two earners: $109,788

• Young children in a single-parent household: 33.39%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 29.88%

20. Montana

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 38.22%

• Children aged five and under: 67,881

• Young children in two-parent households: 75.41%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 61.78%

• Median family income with one earner: $69,482

• Median family income with two earners: $118,656

• Young children in a single-parent household: 24.59%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.56%

21. Indiana

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 38.13%

• Children aged five and under: 475,066

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.21%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 61.87%

• Median family income with one earner: $62,808

• Median family income with two earners: $114,349

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.79%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.35%

22. Georgia

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 37.88%

• Children aged five and under: 733,521

• Young children in two-parent households: 62.34%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 62.12%

• Median family income with one earner: $66,722

• Median family income with two earners: $122,020

• Young children in a single-parent household: 37.66%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 21.89%

23. Hawaii

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 37.86%

• Children aged five and under: 88,470

• Young children in two-parent households: 65.53%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 62.14%

• Median family income with one earner: $83,068

• Median family income with two earners: $135,806

• Young children in a single-parent household: 34.47%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 16.45%

24. Wyoming

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 37.68%

• Children aged five and under: 36,741

• Young children in two-parent households: 75.35%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 62.32%

• Median family income with one earner: $69,906

• Median family income with two earners: $113,883

• Young children in a single-parent household: 24.65%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 7.56%

25. Florida

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 37.29%

• Children aged five and under: 1,292,330

• Young children in two-parent households: 62.76%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 62.71%

• Median family income with one earner: $68,085

• Median family income with two earners: $115,018

• Young children in a single-parent household: 37.24%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 20.07%

26. Colorado

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 36.80%

• Children aged five and under: 366,416

• Young children in two-parent households: 74.48%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 63.20%

• Median family income with one earner: $85,685

• Median family income with two earners: $145,136

• Young children in a single-parent household: 25.52%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 19.47%

27. Kansas

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 35.54%

• Children aged five and under: 206,071

• Young children in two-parent households: 72.30%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 64.46%

• Median family income with one earner: $67,423

• Median family income with two earners: $117,745

• Young children in a single-parent household: 27.70%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 14.02%

28. Ohio

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 35.46%

• Children aged five and under: 774,884

• Young children in two-parent households: 65.13%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 64.54%

• Median family income with one earner: $64,541

• Median family income with two earners: $120,372

• Young children in a single-parent household: 34.87%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.49%

29. Virginia

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 35.34%

• Children aged five and under: 563,598

• Young children in two-parent households: 70.74%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 64.66%

• Median family income with one earner: $76,479

• Median family income with two earners: $144,535

• Young children in a single-parent household: 29.26%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 18.76%

30. Missouri

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 35.30%

• Children aged five and under: 412,306

• Young children in two-parent households: 68.51%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 64.70%

• Median family income with one earner: $63,306

• Median family income with two earners: $114,433

• Young children in a single-parent household: 31.49%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 19.35%

31. Louisiana

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 34.94%

• Children aged five and under: 327,581

• Young children in two-parent households: 54.05%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 65.06%

• Median family income with one earner: $57,923

• Median family income with two earners: $113,060

• Young children in a single-parent household: 45.95%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 22.82%

32. Mississippi

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 34.72%

• Children aged five and under: 196,670

• Young children in two-parent households: 53.63%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 65.28%

• Median family income with one earner: $52,594

• Median family income with two earners: $105,466

• Young children in a single-parent household: 46.37%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 28.75%

33. New York

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 34.17%

• Children aged five and under: 1,232,417

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.53%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 65.83%

• Median family income with one earner: $71,393

• Median family income with two earners: $140,502

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.47%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 23.46%

34. Pennsylvania

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 34.04%

• Children aged five and under: 786,906

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.18%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 65.96%

• Median family income with one earner: $70,378

• Median family income with two earners: $126,641

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.82%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 21.78%

35. Maine

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 33.06%

• Children aged five and under: 72,650

• Young children in two-parent households: 71.47%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 66.94%

• Median family income with one earner: $73,946

• Median family income with two earners: $125,433

• Young children in a single-parent household: 28.53%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 24.47%

36. Illinois

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 32.64%

• Children aged five and under: 807,215

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.19%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 67.36%

• Median family income with one earner: $71,304

• Median family income with two earners: $134,614

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.81%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.25%

37. Delaware

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 31.50%

• Children aged five and under: 63,382

• Young children in two-parent households: 60.77%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 68.50%

• Median family income with one earner: $67,733

• Median family income with two earners: $131,198

• Young children in a single-parent household: 39.23%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 23.92%

38. New Jersey

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 31.49%

• Children aged five and under: 615,691

• Young children in two-parent households: 70.72%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 68.51%

• Median family income with one earner: $84,938

• Median family income with two earners: $158,373

• Young children in a single-parent household: 29.28%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 17.81%

39. Wisconsin

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 31.00%

• Children aged five and under: 372,161

• Young children in two-parent households: 70.31%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 69.00%

• Median family income with one earner: $69,343

• Median family income with two earners: $123,993

• Young children in a single-parent household: 29.69%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 15.12%

40. Maryland

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 30.93%

• Children aged five and under: 412,193

• Young children in two-parent households: 68.01%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 69.07%

• Median family income with one earner: $84,699

• Median family income with two earners: $163,056

• Young children in a single-parent household: 31.99%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 12.15%

41. New Hampshire

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 29.39%

• Children aged five and under: 72,822

• Young children in two-parent households: 75.30%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 70.61%

• Median family income with one earner: $85,049

• Median family income with two earners: $143,927

• Young children in a single-parent household: 24.70%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 14.43%

42. Nebraska

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 29.33%

• Children aged five and under: 146,826

• Young children in two-parent households: 74.38%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 70.67%

• Median family income with one earner: $65,206

• Median family income with two earners: $116,678

• Young children in a single-parent household: 25.62%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 13.45%

43. Connecticut

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 28.95%

• Children aged five and under: 212,714

• Young children in two-parent households: 67.82%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 71.05%

• Median family income with one earner: $82,141

• Median family income with two earners: $153,625

• Young children in a single-parent household: 32.18%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 11.57%

44. North Dakota

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 28.86%

• Children aged five and under: 57,573

• Young children in two-parent households: 77.11%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 71.14%

• Median family income with one earner: $71,663

• Median family income with two earners: $121,968

• Young children in a single-parent household: 22.89%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 24.29%

45. Rhode Island

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 28.32%

• Children aged five and under: 62,976

• Young children in two-parent households: 62.84%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 71.68%

• Median family income with one earner: $75,662

• Median family income with two earners: $141,689

• Young children in a single-parent household: 37.16%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 21.13%

46. Iowa

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 27.79%

• Children aged five and under: 220,909

• Young children in two-parent households: 72.14%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 72.21%

• Median family income with one earner: $65,883

• Median family income with two earners: $117,233

• Young children in a single-parent household: 27.86%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 11.88%

47. Vermont

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 27.37%

• Children aged five and under: 32,424

• Young children in two-parent households: 71.71%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 72.63%

• Median family income with one earner: $70,603

• Median family income with two earners: $128,158

• Young children in a single-parent household: 28.29%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 30.25%

48. Minnesota

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 26.68%

• Children aged five and under: 391,964

• Young children in two-parent households: 74.41%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 73.32%

• Median family income with one earner: $75,704

• Median family income with two earners: $137,152

• Young children in a single-parent household: 25.59%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 13.64%

49. South Dakota

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 26.31%

• Children aged five and under: 65,836

• Young children in two-parent households: 71.47%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 73.69%

• Median family income with one earner: $67,416

• Median family income with two earners: $113,515

• Young children in a single-parent household: 28.53%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 26.43%

50. Massachusetts

• Two-parent households with 1 stay-at-home parent: 26.29%

• Children aged five and under: 405,284

• Young children in two-parent households: 71.03%

• Two-parent households with both parents working: 73.71%

• Median family income with one earner: $85,941

• Median family income with two earners: $164,931

• Young children in a single-parent household: 28.97%

• Single-parent households where parent stays home: 20.62%

Data and Methodology

Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2024. States are ranked based on the percentage of children aged five and under who live in two-parent households where one parent stays home to watch the children instead of working for an income. Supplementary data includes median family incomes for single-earner households and two-earner households, as well as data about single-parent households and whether those parents work or are otherwise considered stay-at-home parents.

Questions about this study? Email us at press@tryplayground.com