Fun Facts & Stats About Father’s Day – Sunday, June 19

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived 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 in 2008, the most recent year for which data are available. Source: Wave 2 Fertility Topical Module from the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation http://www.nber.org/sipp/2008/2008w13tm.pdf

24.9 million

Number of fathers who were part of married-couple families with children younger than 18 in 2015.

• 21 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple family households only).
• 3 percent were living in someone else’s home with their families.

Source: Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Tables FG1 and FG3 https://www.census.gov/hhes/families/index.html

1.9 million

Number of single fathers in 2015; 16 percent of single parents were men.

• 9 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18.
• About 45 percent were divorced, 33 percent were never married, 17 percent were separated, and 6 percent were widowed.
• About 47 percent had an annual family income of $50,000 or more. Source: Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Table FG6 https://www.census.gov/hhes/families/index.html

Thinking of You, Dad

22,508

The number of clothing stores, department stores, warehouse clubs and supercenters around the country where you could buy dad a dress shirt in 2012. Sales totaled an estimated $2.6 billion at these locations. Source: 2012 Economic Census, Product Lines Statistics by Industry for the U.S. and States http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2012_US/44SLLS1//naics~4481|4521|452910/prodsvc~20207

$20.4 billion

The estimated sales of hardware stores in 2012. There were 15,454 establishments in 2012 that sold tools and plumbing and electrical supplies. Included in those hardware stores were 8,514 establishments that sold ladders and scaffolding. Source: 2012 Economic Census, Product Lines Statistics by Industry for the U.S. and States http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2012_US/44SLLS1//naics~444130/prodsvc~20600|20601|20603|20604|20605|20606|20607|20608|20609

21,132

The number of sporting goods and recereational establishments in 2012, reporting $40.7 billion in total sales. Golf equipment was sold in 5,591 of those establishments, accounting for $2.1 billion in total sales. Source: 2012 Economic Census, Product Lines Statistics by Industry for the U.S. and States http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2012_US/44SLLS1//naics~451110 /prodsvc~20530|20531|20532|20533|20534|20535|20536|20537|20538|20539

7,100

Number of men’s clothing stores around the country in 2014, a good place to buy dad a tie or shirt. Source: County Business Patterns, NAICS code (44811) http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2014/00A1//naics~44811/

15,331

Number of hardware stores in 2014, a place to buy hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers and other items high on the list of Father’s Day gifts. Additionally, there were 6,561 home centers across the country in 2014.

Source: County Business Patterns, NAICS codes (444130) and (444110) http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2014/00A1//naics~444130

http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2014/00A1//naics~444110

21,830

Number of sporting goods stores in 2014. These stores were good places to purchase traditional gifts for dad, such as fishing rods and golf clubs.

Source: County Business Patterns, NAICS code (451110) http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2014/00A1//naics~451110

Stay-at-Home Dads

199,000

Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2015. 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 wife works outside the home. These fathers cared for about 368,000 children. Source: Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Table SHP-1 http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/families.html

29.0%

In spring 2013, 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 2013 http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p70-135.pdf

Child-Support Payments

$3.1 billion

Amount of child support received by custodial fathers in 2013; they were due $4.2 billion. In contrast, custodial mothers received $19.4 billion of the $28.7 billion in support that was due. Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2013, Page 11 https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/P60-255.pdf

40.7%

Percentage of custodial fathers who received all child support that was due in 2013, not statistically different from the corresponding percentage for custodial mothers, 46.2 percent. Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2013, Page 3, Table 1 https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/P60-255.pdf

70.3%

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 59.9 percent. Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2013, Page 12 https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/P60-255.pdf