American marriage in the United States is shaped by who marries, when they marry, and how long relationships last. The median age at first marriage has risen since 2000, and overall marriage participation has declined as the never-married share grows. At the same time, divorce has become less common, and satisfaction is especially high among long-term couples, setting the context for the data ahead.
Key Takeaways
- Median age at first marriage for men rose to 30.2 years in 2022 from 26.1 in 2000.
- Women’s median age at first marriage reached 28.6 years in 2022, up from 25.1 in 2000.
- In 1970, median age for men at first marriage was 23.2 years, women 20.8.
- The U.S. divorce rate fell to 2.4 per 1,000 population in 2022, lowest since 1970.
- In 2021, there were 689,308 divorces in the U.S., equating to 2.5 per 1,000.
- Divorce rates halved from 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981 to 2.7 in 2019.
- 69% of long-term married couples (50+ years) report high satisfaction.
- 73% of married Americans say they are very satisfied with their marriage in 2023.
- Satisfaction peaks at 76% for marriages lasting 50+ years.
- In 2022, 50.1% of U.S. adults aged 18+ were married, down from 72% in 1960.
- Among adults 25-54, 53% were married in 2022.
- 34% of U.S. adults have never been married as of 2023, up from 23% in 1990.
- In 2022, the U.S. marriage rate stood at 6.2 per 1,000 total population, marking a decline from 8.2 per 1,000 in 2000.
- The marriage rate in the United States dropped to 6.0 per 1,000 population in 2021 from 5.1 in 2020 amid pandemic effects.
- Between 2010 and 2022, the annual marriage rate averaged 6.5 per 1,000, reflecting a steady downward trend since the 1990s peak of 9.8.
Americans are marrying later, marrying less, and divorcing at record low rates, while long marriages report high satisfaction.
Related reading
01 · Category
Age At Marriage21 stats
01
Median age at first marriage for men rose to 30.2 years in 2022 from 26.1 in 2000.
02
Women’s median age at first marriage reached 28.6 years in 2022, up from 25.1 in 2000.
03
In 1970, median age for men at first marriage was 23.2 years, women 20.8.
04
By age 30, 60% of women born in 1990 had married vs. 74% for 1980 cohort.
05
50% of men born 1980-1984 married by age 30, delayed to age 32 for 1990s cohort.
06
College graduates marry at median 30.3 for men, 28.0 for women in 2021.
07
High school graduates marry at 26.3 men, 23.5 women median age.
08
Black women marry at median 31.5 years vs. 27.5 for White women in 2021.
09
Hispanic women median first marriage age is 27.2 years in 2021.
10
Asian women marry latest at 30.8 years median in 2021.
11
80% of women marry by age 40, but only 50% by age 25 in recent cohorts.
12
Men’s first marriage age increased 3.5 years from 1960 (22.8) to 2022 (30.2).
13
Women born 1940 married by 21.9 median, 1980 cohort by 25.3, 1995 by 28.6.
14
Duration from first sex to marriage averaged 8.5 years for recent cohorts.
15
Cohabitation precedes 70% of first marriages, delaying formal marriage by 2 years.
16
30% of first marriages occur before age 25, down from 60% in 1970.
17
Marriages after age 35 have 24% lower divorce risk in first 10 years.
18
Urban women marry 1.5 years later than rural at median 29.2 vs. 27.7.
19
Northeast region median first marriage age highest at 29.8 for women.
20
South has earliest marriage age at 27.1 for women median.
21
67% of 25-34 year olds were single in 2022, highest on record.
Interpretation
Age At Marriage Interpretation
Across the Age At Marriage category, first marriage has clearly shifted later, with men’s median age rising from 26.1 in 2000 to 30.2 in 2022 and women’s from 25.1 to 28.6, and cohort comparisons show fewer women marrying by 30, with 60% of those born in 1990 doing so versus 74% of the 1980 cohort.
02 · Category
Divorce Rates26 stats
01
The U.S. divorce rate fell to 2.4 per 1,000 population in 2022, lowest since 1970.
02
In 2021, there were 689,308 divorces in the U.S., equating to 2.5 per 1,000.
03
Divorce rates halved from 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981 to 2.7 in 2019.
04
From 2010-2022, the average annual divorce rate was 2.6 per 1,000 population.
05
Nevada's divorce rate was highest at 4.2 per 1,000 in 2022.
06
Massachusetts had the lowest divorce rate at 1.0 per 1,000 in 2022.
07
The U.S. divorce rate peaked at 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981 during the divorce revolution.
08
42% of first marriages end in divorce within 20 years for women aged 15-44.
09
Second marriages have a 60% divorce rate within 10 years.
10
Third marriages divorce at 73% rate within 10 years.
11
In 2020, divorces dropped 19% to 630,505 due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
12
Gray divorce (over age 50) rates doubled from 1990 to 2010, reaching 25% for that cohort.
13
Divorce rates for college-educated couples fell to 11% within 10 years vs. 37% for less educated.
14
48% of Hispanic women experience divorce in first 20 years of marriage.
15
Black women have a 53% first-marriage divorce rate within 15 years.
16
White women's first-marriage divorce rate is 38% within 20 years.
17
January and March are peak divorce filing months, with 11.4% and 10.9% respectively in 2022.
18
December has the fewest divorces at 6.5% annually.
19
25% of divorces in 2019 were granted after marriages lasting less than 5 years.
20
Couples married 40+ years represent only 5% of divorces.
21
2.9 divorces per 1,000 population in 2022 (United States).
22
3.2 divorces per 1,000 population in 2019 (United States).
23
3.3 divorces per 1,000 population in 2018 (United States).
24
3.6 divorces per 1,000 population in 2015 (United States).
25
3.9 divorces per 1,000 population in 2011 (United States).
26
4.7 divorces per 1,000 population in 2000 (United States).
Interpretation
Divorce Rates Interpretation
Divorce rates in the United States have steadily declined, dropping from 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981 to 2.7 per 1,000 in 2019 and reaching a record low of 2.4 per 1,000 in 2022, reinforcing the overall downward trend in American divorce rates.
report visual · Projection
U.S. Divorce Rates Have Declined Over Time
From 2000 to 2022, the U.S. divorce rate trends downward overall, with the earlier years higher and 2022 at the lowest point among the provided data (about 2.9 divorces per 1,000 p
4.7 divorces per 1,000 population
Start
-2.17%
CAGR · 22y
2.9 divorces per 1,000 population
Projected
20002022
source-verifiedcdc.gov2022
03 · Category
Marital Satisfaction26 stats
01
69% of long-term married couples (50+ years) report high satisfaction.
02
73% of married Americans say they are very satisfied with their marriage in 2023.
03
Satisfaction peaks at 76% for marriages lasting 50+ years.
04
Only 17% of married parents under 30 report high satisfaction vs. 69% over 55.
05
Married men report 25% higher life satisfaction than single men.
06
62% of wives report spousal emotional support daily vs. 48% husbands.
07
88% of married couples communicate daily about personal feelings.
08
Divorcees report 40% lower happiness post-divorce than pre-marriage levels.
09
Married individuals have 20% lower depression rates than unmarried.
10
75% of married Americans say marriage is essential for a fulfilling life.
11
Satisfaction drops to 55% if wife earns more than husband.
12
Dual-income married couples report 68% satisfaction vs. 82% traditional.
13
90% of couples married 10+ years report love for spouse.
14
Childless marriages have 10% higher satisfaction than parent couples.
15
Religious couples report 78% marital happiness vs. 65% secular.
16
65% of marriages survive infidelity with counseling.
17
Frequent sex correlates with 15% higher satisfaction in marriage.
18
Date nights weekly boost satisfaction by 20%.
19
80% of highly satisfied couples share chores equally.
20
94% of married mothers with children under 18 feel family life is close to ideal.
21
Married people live 10 years longer on average than never-married.
22
57% of remarried report same or higher satisfaction as first marriage.
23
Satisfaction in marriage predicts 30% variance in overall life happiness.
24
70% of Americans desire marriage for love and companionship primary reasons.
25
In 2023, 81% of married Republicans reported thriving vs. 59% Democrats.
26
45% of married women aged 18-29 earn more than husbands in 2023.
Interpretation
Marital Satisfaction Interpretation
Marital satisfaction is notably higher among long-established relationships, with 73% of married Americans very satisfied in 2023 and satisfaction peaking at 76% for marriages lasting 50 years or more, while much lower figures such as 17% for parents under 30 show a clear gap within the category of marital satisfaction.
More related reading
04 · Category
Marriage Demographics20 stats
01
In 2022, 50.1% of U.S. adults aged 18+ were married, down from 72% in 1960.
02
Among adults 25-54, 53% were married in 2022.
03
34% of U.S. adults have never been married as of 2023, up from 23% in 1990.
04
College-educated adults are 65% likely to be married by age 40 vs. 50% for non-college.
05
62% of Asian adults are married, highest among racial groups in 2022.
06
Only 41% of Black adults were married in 2022, lowest rate.
07
52% of White non-Hispanic adults were married in 2022.
08
48% of Hispanic adults were married in 2022.
09
55% of men aged 18+ were married in 2022 vs. 45% of women.
10
Women are more likely to be widowed (11% vs. 3% for men) in 2022.
11
16% of married adults were in interracial marriages in 2022.
12
12% of married couples were cohabiting before marriage in early data, now over 50%.
13
40% of married couples have children under 18 in the home as of 2021.
14
Median income for married-couple households was $106,880in 2022.
15
Single-mother households median income was $42,160vs. married $106,880 in 2022.
16
87% of married couples own their home vs. 56% unmarried in 2022.
17
71% of U.S. children live with two married parents in 2022.
18
25% of married households are childless by choice or circumstance in 2021.
19
The average married couple has 1.9 children in 2022.
20
15% of married couples are both over age 65 in 2022.
Interpretation
Marriage Demographics Interpretation
Marriage in the United States is becoming less common overall, with only 50.1% of adults aged 18 and older married in 2022 compared with 72% in 1960, showing a clear shift in marriage demographics across the population.
05 · Category
Marriage Rates20 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. marriage rate stood at 6.2 per 1,000 total population, marking a decline from 8.2 per 1,000 in 2000.
02
The marriage rate in the United States dropped to 6.0 per 1,000 population in 2021 from 5.1 in 2020 amid pandemic effects.
03
Between 2010 and 2022, the annual marriage rate averaged 6.5 per 1,000, reflecting a steady downward trend since the 1990s peak of 9.8.
04
In 2019, there were 2,015,603 marriages performed in the U.S., equating to about 6.1 per 1,000 population.
05
Nevada had the highest marriage rate in 2022 at 25.9 per 1,000 population, driven by Las Vegas weddings.
06
Massachusetts recorded the lowest marriage rate in 2022 at 3.5 per 1,000 population.
07
From 1900 to 2022, the U.S. marriage rate peaked at 16.4 per 1,000 in 1946 post-WWII.
08
The marriage rate for women aged 15-44 was 31.1 per 1,000 in 2010, down from 76.9 in 1970.
09
In 2020, interracial marriages accounted for 11% of all new marriages in the U.S.
10
Same-sex marriage rates surged post-2015 Obergefell decision, with 7.9% of LGBTQ adults married by 2019.
11
The crude marriage rate in Utah was 7.2 per 1,000 in 2021, highest among states excluding Nevada.
12
Hawaii's marriage rate was 14.2 per 1,000 in 2022, boosted by destination weddings.
13
From 2000-2022, marriages declined by 25% in absolute numbers from 2.3 million to 1.7 million annually.
14
The marriage rate among Black Americans was 4.9 per 1,000 in 2018, lowest among racial groups.
15
Asian Americans had a marriage rate of 12.5 per 1,000 for women aged 25-44 in 2019.
16
In 2022, the U.S. saw 1,774,568 marriages, a 4% increase from 2021's pandemic low.
17
The peak marriage month in 2022 was June with 10.5% of annual marriages.
18
December had the fewest marriages at 4.2% in 2022 due to holiday timing.
19
Remarriage rates contributed 40% of all marriages in the U.S. in 2013.
20
First marriages averaged 2.1 million annually from 2010-2019.
Interpretation
Marriage Rates Interpretation
In the Marriage Rates category, the U.S. marriage rate fell from 8.2 per 1,000 people in 2000 to 6.2 in 2022, showing a long-term decline even as it hovered around 6.1 per 1,000 in 2019.
Reference
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). American Marriage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-marriage-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "American Marriage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/american-marriage-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "American Marriage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-marriage-statistics.