NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Households headed by women who are unmarried or not living with a partner have far fewer financial resources than the average U.S. household, according to a study released Monday by the Consumer Federation of America.

Analyzing data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances with the help of economist Catherine Montalto of Ohio State University, the CFA found that women who head households have a median net worth of $27,850 compared with $86,100 for all American households.

Their incomes are lower, too. Women-headed households in 2001 (the year reflected in the latest Fed data) had a median income of $20,000. That's just half the $39,000 median income for all U.S. households.

And a far higher percentage of women-headed households (41 percent) are likely to rank in the bottom fifth of income earners than are all American households, of which only 19 percent rank as low in terms of income.

The discrepancy in wealth for women on their own can be attributed to less education overall, less likelihood of being employed, lower income, and having only one paycheck instead of two to rely on, said Stephen Brobeck, CFA's executive director.

What's more, noted Montalto, there are a notable section of women-run households headed by never married mothers with dependents, divorced and widowed women, all of whom often face steeper financial challenges than other households.

According to the CFA study, women who head households are less likely to have a bachelor's degree or a graduate degree than heads of households as a whole. And they are more likely to have less than a high school education, although a greater percentage of female-headed households have high school degrees than do all heads of households as a group.

In terms of jobs, nearly 40 percent of female household heads reported not being in the labor force versus 27.4 percent of household heads overall.

When it comes to savings, women on their own are also living closer to the edge. Fifty-three percent of female-run households spend all or more of their incomes versus 41 percent of all households. And only 32 percent of women-headed households save regularly compared with 41 percent of U.S. households in general.

In terms of financial planning, only 31 percent of women headed households had a horizon of at least five years; 38 percent weren't planning out farther than the next year.

To boost savings, Brobeck recommends taking advantage of any savings opportunity when it comes along, even if it means putting away just a few extra dollars a month.

Among his top recommendations: participate in automated savings programs at work, particularly those that offer matching funds from an employer such as a 401(k); and ask your bank or credit union regularly deduct some money from your checking account and deposit it into your savings account.

Earmarking some of those savings for a down payment to buy a home is also useful, he said, since home ownership has proven to be one of the keys to building net worth.

For help with savings goals, check America Saves.org, a campaign organized by CFA and other nonprofits in conjunction with corporations and government agencies to help Americans build their net worth.