Raising kids alone takes strength, patience, and a lot of sacrifice. Between school lunches, rent, and child care, it can feel like the bills never stop coming. A new report from Parents highlights what many already know too well: being a single parent in 2025 is tougher than ever, especially when it comes to money.
Researchers looked at the cost of living for single parents across 372 U.S. cities and compared it to average pay. The results were eye-opening. In every single city, the cost of living was higher than what most single parents earn. In New York City, single parents fall short by about $25,000 a year. In Los Angeles, the gap is more than $30,000. The hardest place to make ends meet is Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, where the average single parent needs more than $77,000 extra just to cover the basics.
Rising prices make it hard for families everywhere, but single parents feel it the most. Everyday needs like groceries, housing, and health care cost more each year, while paychecks haven’t kept up. Child care alone takes up nearly a quarter of a parent’s income. That leaves little room for saving or handling surprise expenses. Many single parents end up relying on credit cards or loans just to get by, and over time, the debt can pile up fast.
A recent survey from National Debt Relief found that 59% of parents have gone into debt to raise their children, and almost half say that debt is now unmanageable. When income doesn’t stretch far enough, it’s easy to feel stuck. That’s where programs like debt settlement can make a real difference. National Debt Relief works with families to help reduce what they owe and find a path toward financial relief—without adding more stress to their already full plates.
Even with all these challenges, many single parents find pride in doing it on their own. They keep food on the table, pay for school trips, and show their kids what perseverance looks like. Still, it’s clear that today’s costs make it hard for one income to cover everything a family needs.
The Parents report is a reminder that financial struggles are common and that asking for help is not a sign of failure—it’s a courageous step toward stability. To learn more about the realities single parents face and how families are finding ways to manage, you can read the full story on Parents.
