The Data
Thriving Children
Every Arizona parent wants their child to succeed. The data shows that one factor matters more than almost anything else: whether that child grows up in a strong, stable, married family.
School
Performance
85% of children with married parents earn A’s and B’s vs. 64% in single-parent homes. Net of controls for income, race, and education, children from non-intact families are 91% more likely to earn poor grades.
Mental
Health
Girls are 60% more likely and boys 57% more likely to be diagnosed with depression when raised outside an intact married home.
Adverse Childhood
Experiences
Arizona children in non-intact families are 274% more likely to experience one or more ACEs—events like domestic violence, neglect, or parental separation that leave lasting scars.
Child
Poverty
A data-backed handout for couples in premarital counseling showing the financial, emotional, and relational benefits of marriage. Designed to complement existing premarital programs.
Successful Adults
Marriage does not just benefit children. It transforms outcomes for men and women across Arizona.
Homeownership
In a multivariate model, marriage is the strongest predictor of homeownership in Arizona—surpassing income, education, and race. Married adults in the bottom income quartile are more likely to own a home than unmarried adults in the top quartile.
Financial Security
Only 15% of married adults in Arizona receive welfare assistance, compared to 24% of unmarried men and 34% of unmarried women.
Community Impact
The benefits of strong families extend beyond individual households. Communities with higher marriage rates experience less crime and less poverty across Arizona’s 15 counties.
Where Arizona Stands
Arizona currently ranks 35th in the nation on the Family Structure Index—a measure of marriage rates, fertility, and intact families developed by the Institute for Family Studies. But the trendline is improving: Arizona has risen four places since 2020, and the share of children living with married parents has climbed from 58% in 2011 to 62% in 2024.
We Can Do Better
Download the full report to see every data point, county-level breakdowns, and the policy recommendations.