Which scenario would qualify someone for head of household status?

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Head of household status goes to taxpayers who are not married (or are considered unmarried), who pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home, and who have a qualifying person living with them for more than half the year. The scenario described fits all those criteria: the person is unmarried, they contribute more than half of the household expenses, and a qualifying individual lives with them for most of the year. Because all three requirements are met, this scenario qualifies for head of household.

The other situations fail because they don’t meet one or more of the criteria. Being married and living with a spouse all year means you’re not unmarried, so head of household isn’t appropriate. An unmarried person who pays less than half the cost of keeping up the home isn’t contributing a majority of the household expenses, so the maintenance requirement isn’t satisfied. Filing a joint return with a spouse places you in a different filing status, not head of household.