Leon County sits at the top of a demographic list across Florida, recording the highest percentage of children living in single-parent households among the state’s larger counties.
That finding comes from the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, compiled and analyzed for counties with populations exceeding 95,000. Out of Florida’s 37 larger counties, Leon County leads the measure at 35.26 percent for children under age 18 living in single-parent households.
Household expenses often must be supported by one parent rather than two, meaning single-parent households can face greater financial pressures. However, the Census figures alone do not establish the income or economic circumstances of individual families. Instead, the findings feed directly into local discussions about poverty, housing affordability, educational outcomes, and economic mobility.
How Leon County Compares Across Florida
The numbers place Leon County more than two percentage points ahead of Duval County, which ranked second in the state at 33.24 percent. Escambia County followed closely behind at 32.10 percent, with Sumter County at 31.52 percent and Alachua County rounding out the top five at 31.09 percent.
Further down the rankings, Miami-Dade County reported 28.87 percent of children living in single-parent households, sitting more than six percentage points below Leon County. At the other end of the spectrum, St. Johns County recorded the lowest percentage among larger counties at 13.36 percent, followed by Santa Rosa County at 16.12 percent, Martin County at 18.68 percent, and Clay County at 19.25 percent.
Tracking the trajectory over time reveals a slight upward shift locally. In 2020, 34.82 percent of Leon County children lived in single-parent households. By 2024, that figure ticked up to 35.26 percent, marking a rise of 0.44 percentage points.
While Leon County holds the highest overall percentage, it ranked ninth among the 37 larger counties in the size of the increase between 2020 and 2024. Indian River County experienced the largest increase statewide, jumping 4.47 percentage points, followed by St. Lucie County at 3.97 points, Hernando County at 2.78 points, and Okaloosa County at 2.16 points.
