This report describes the socioeconomic conditions of women who are heads of families noting that the accelerated growth of families headed by women in recent years, especially since 1970, has been of concern in part because one out of every three, as compared to one of every eighteen of the families headed by men, is living at or below what is generally defined as the poverty level. The report provides statistical data concerning the age, race, and marital status of families with women as heads of households. Included also is data on labor force participation, occupations, children, and income of female heads of households in comparison to men. Conclusions drawn from the data include these: The number of poor families headed by women is continuously rising, while that of men is steadily falling, and for several million of these women the barriers impeding the climb continue to be inadequate training and education for the current job market, and, in some cases, heavy child care responsibilities. (WL)