North Carolina

In 1996, Redbook declared Raleigh, North Carolina, one of the best cities for working moms. Yet, recent census statistics illustrate that the state has room for improvement. Thirteen percent of families with children under 18 years of age live below the poverty line, while slightly more than 27 percent of all homes headed by women are living in poverty. Almost 35 percent of female-headed households with children under age 18 live in poverty, and that number jumps to close to 46 percent when the children are under age 5. In 2006, almost 7 percent of the total population was age 5 or under.

North Carolina is separated into three distinct geographic regions: the coastal region in the east; the central piedmont; and the western mountains where Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern United States, is located. This geography naturally leads to differences in economic structures, such as fishing and timber interests in the east to tourism in the west. Textile mills, furniture production, and agricultural growth are all important industries. In 2004, the median yearly income was less than the national average at $40,863.

The majority religion in North Carolina is evangelical Protestantism. Although, there are many religions present in the state, greater than 70 percent of people practice some form of the Protestant faith.

The birth rate in 2007 was 14.4, and more than 40 percent were born to unmarried women. For every 1,000 births, 8.8 of these babies die before they turn 1 year of age. Minority babies die at twice the rate of white babies. However, Hispanic babies were the least likely to die, with 4.7 infant deaths per 1,000 births. Twenty-seven percent of the total population is 19 years of age or younger, and more [Page 925]than 35 percent of total households have children under age 8 living within them. The average family size is close to three people. Almost 50 percent of grandparents living with their grandchildren, or close to 80,000 grandparents, are responsible for the care of the children under age 18 living with them.

The North Carolina Eugenics Board, which operated between 1929 and 1974, approved the sterilization of more than 7,600 people. Most of those people were white women who were declared “feeble-minded” or were recipients of state welfare. However, as more minority women received welfare benefits, the number of sterilizations increased for them as well. North Carolina continues to fund abortions for poor women, but the state only provides a $50,000 annual budget and only provides the services in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment.