Urban women are better off in labor force participation and poverty than women in central city and rural areas. Differences in access to jobs and welfare benefits explain the urban-rural variation. Finds that the most important factor for not living in poverty is earning income. Recommends policies for reducing poverty among single, working…

Using data from the 1980 Census Public Use Microdata Sample, this paper examines characteristics of women who live alone and incidence of poverty in this group. Results show there are two distinct subgroups among women who live alone: the elderly, most of whom are widowed; and the young, many of whom are single or divorced. For both groups, about…