While men make the vast majority of child support payments, that trend might be changing a bit in Maryland, where the rise in number of single-father households was greater than the increase in single-mother households for the first time in more than 40 years.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the 2010 Census found that there were 47,200 families led by a single father, which represents an increase of about 6,000, or 14 percent, over 2000. This is compared to an increase of just 3.2 percent of single-mother households over the same period.

“There’s been a slow shift in the way that men view their roles as father, the way that women view men’s role as father, and the opportunities for women in the workplace,” Geoffrey L. Greif, an author who also teaches at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, told the news source.

Rachmiel Tobesman, who used to be the president of Maryland’s Fathers United for Equal Rights, said that the state has begun to shift to a playing field that doesn’t favor women at the expense of men.

The Census also found that less than 50 percent of households have married couples, which CNN reports is seen as a historical shift.

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