Photo by Ted Eytan

Among other racial disparities in the city, black mothers in D.C. are carrying the financial load for their households at a much higher rate than their white counterparts. About 87 percent of black moms in the District are considered “breadwinners” compared to about 49 percent of white mothers in the city, according to a new study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

The title applies to moms with children under the age of 18 and it includes mothers who are single, no matter how much money they make, and those who are married and bank at least 40 percent of the couple’s joint earnings.

This economic bearing of Black mothers is a trend that spans the country, according to the study, which states that more than four in five black mothers in the U.S. are considered breadwinners.

The state with the lowest share of black breadwinner mothers is Washington, at nearly 72 percent, and the state with the highest share is Wisconsin at about 88 percent.

Meanwhile in Maryland, about 80 percent of black mothers are considered breadwinners compared to 50 percent of white moms. In Virginia, the designation goes to about 78 percent of black moms versus about 48 percent of white moms.

In every state and in D.C., there are more single black breadwinner mothers than married ones, according to the study, which says that a combination of things such as inadequate amounts of lack paid sick days and paid family leave, as well as high costs of childcare allow for an “additional burden on low-income women and women of color.”

Breadwinner Mothers by Race/Ethnicity and State by Christina Sturdivant on Scribd