Marriage in the U.S. has been moving out of reach for many people, with the marriage rate slipping to 5.1 per 1,000 total population in 2021, the lowest since 1867. At the same time, first marriage is happening much later, with men reaching a median age of 30.1 in 2021 and women 28.6, up sharply from 1950. These shifts show up differently by region, education, and race, and the totals hide a lot of tension underneath.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. median age at first marriage for men rose to 30.1 years in 2021, up from 22.5 in 1950
- Women’s median age first marriage 28.6 years 2021, from 20.3 in 1950
- From 1970-2021, men’s first marriage age up 8.5 years
- Cohabitation rate tripled since 1980; 59% of adults 18-44 cohabited by 2019
- 18 million U.S. adults cohabiting in 2022, up from 3 million in 1980
- 70% of couples cohabit before first marriage today vs 10% in 1960
- U.S. divorce rate fell to 2.5 per 1,000 in 2021, lowest in decades
- From 2000-2021, divorces declined 30%, from 944,000 to 689,000 annually
- Divorce rate for women 15-44: 15.7/1,000 in 2019 vs 23+ in 1990
- Economic inequality explains 40% of marriage decline per studies
- 60% of low-income adults under 35 unmarried vs 20% high-income
- Student debt delays marriage for 25% of millennials
- In 2021, the U.S. marriage rate dropped to 5.1 per 1,000 total population, the lowest since 1867
- From 2000 to 2020, U.S. marriages declined by 60%, from 2.3 million to 1.5 million annually
- Marriage rate for women aged 15-44 fell from 76.5 per 1,000 in 1990 to 31.1 in 2019
Americans are marrying later and less, with first marriage and overall rates hitting multi-decade lows.
Related reading
01 · Category
Age at First Marriage27 stats
01
U.S. median age at first marriage for men rose to 30.1 years in 2021, up from 22.5 in 1950
02
Women’s median age first marriage 28.6 years 2021, from 20.3 in 1950
03
From 1970-2021, men’s first marriage age up 8.5 years
04
College-educated men marry first at 31.2 years median
05
Non-college men at 27.5 years first marriage
06
Black men median first marriage age 32.3 years, highest
07
Asian women youngest at 27.9 years first marriage
08
In 2000, median age men 26.8, women 25.1; by 2020 30.5/28.6
09
Ages 25-34 never-married rate 63% for men 2021
10
35% of women 25-34 never married 2021, up from 10% in 1980
11
Rural men marry younger at 28.9 vs urban 30.4
12
Northeast median age highest: men 31.5, women 29.2
13
South lowest: men 28.7, women 26.8 median
14
From 2010-2020, age at marriage rose 1.5 years for both genders
15
50% of Gen Z expected to marry after 30, per projections
16
HS dropouts men marry at 25.2 years, earliest group
17
Postgrad women at 31.8 years first marriage, latest
18
Hispanic men 28.1 years, women 26.0 first marriage median
19
White non-Hispanic men 29.8, women 27.9
20
72% of adults married by 30 in 1960 vs 26% today
21
Projected: by 2030, median age men 31+, women 29+
22
California median age men 31.2, highest state
23
Utah lowest at 26.1 men, 24.0 women
24
New York women 29.5 median first marriage
25
Texas men 28.9 years average
26
34% of adults 18-34 never married in 2023, up 12% from 2010
27
In 2022, 37% of men 30-49 never married, record high
Interpretation
Age at First Marriage Interpretation
We've gone from a society that sprinted to the altar to one that seems to be taking the scenic route, carefully collecting degrees, establishing careers, and generally adulting for a full decade before even considering a registry.
02 · Category
Cohabitation Trends27 stats
01
Cohabitation rate tripled since 1980; 59% of adults 18-44 cohabited by 2019
02
18 million U.S. adults cohabiting in 2022, up from 3 million in 1980
03
70% of couples cohabit before first marriage today vs 10% in 1960
04
Median duration of cohabitation 18 months before marriage
05
20% of cohabiting unions dissolve within 1 year, 50% within 5 years
06
Serial cohabitation: 30% of women cohabit 3+ times before marriage
07
Cohabiting couples with children: 4 million households 2021
08
Only 40% of cohabitations transition to marriage within 4 years
09
Black adults cohabit at 2x rate of whites: 15% vs 7% 2022
10
Less-educated adults 3x more likely to cohabit than marry
11
15% of U.S. households cohabiting in 2022, up from 3% 1960
12
Young adults 18-24: 9% cohabiting vs 4% married 2021
13
Ages 25-34: 16% cohabiting, 29% married
14
Northeast cohabitation rate 11%, highest region
15
West 10%, South 8%, Midwest 7% cohabiting households
16
Urban cohabitation 12% vs rural 6% of households
17
66% of first births to cohabiting parents among less-educated
18
Cohabiting fertility rate higher than married for young adults
19
Pandemic: cohabitation up 5% in 2020 as alternative to marriage
20
25% of cohabiting couples have one partner previously married
21
Same-sex cohabitation doubled to 1% of households 2008-2019
22
48% of young adults prefer cohabitation over marriage first
23
California 12.5% cohabiting households, highest state
24
Utah lowest cohabitation 4.2%, marriage-heavy
25
NYC cohabitation 18% of young adult couples
26
33% of women 30-44 have cohabited but never married
27
Never-married single adults rose to 35% of 25-54 pop 2021
Interpretation
Cohabitation Trends Interpretation
The statistics paint cohabitation as the new normal, a trial period with no guarantee of renewal, where the road to marriage is now a winding, often circular, driveway.
03 · Category
Divorce Rates28 stats
01
U.S. divorce rate fell to 2.5 per 1,000 in 2021, lowest in decades
02
From 2000-2021, divorces declined 30%, from 944,000 to 689,000 annually
03
Divorce rate for women 15-44: 15.7/1,000 in 2019 vs 23+ in 1990
04
42% of first marriages end in divorce within 15 years, down from 50%+
05
Gray divorce (50+) rate doubled from 1990-2010 to 10/1,000
06
In 2022, 673,989 divorces reported, down 1% from 2021
07
Black divorce rate highest at 6.6/1,000 in 2021
08
White divorce rate 2.2/1,000, Hispanic 2.0/1,000 in 2021
09
50% of marriages of women with no college end in divorce in 20 years
10
College grads divorce rate 25% lower than non-grads
11
Median duration of divorces: 8 years for first marriages
12
Divorce filings dropped 10% in 2020 due to pandemic
13
Women initiate 69% of divorces per recent studies
14
Remarriage divorce rate 60% within 5 years, higher than first
15
Northeast divorce rate lowest at 2.0/1,000 avg
16
South highest divorce rate 2.8/1,000 pre-2020
17
Ages 25-34 divorce rate 20.5/1,000 women 2019
18
Ages 35-44: 18.2/1,000 divorce rate for women
19
45% of first marriages of high school dropouts end in 10 years
20
Overall U.S. divorce-to-marriage ratio 45% in 2021, down from 50%+
21
California divorces fell 15% in 2020 to 80,000+
22
Texas 120,000+ divorces 2020, down 5%
23
Florida divorce count 70,000+ in 2020, stable low
24
Nevada divorce rate 4.2/1,000 in 2021, high
25
Post-2020 rebound: divorces up 9% in 2021-2022
26
Median age first divorce men 30.5 years, women 28.8 in recent data
27
25% of divorces involve children under 18
28
Serial divorces: 10% of adults divorced 3+ times
Interpretation
Divorce Rates Interpretation
While overall marriage appears to be on a more stable, deliberate diet—with younger couples staying together longer and the national divorce rate at a historic low—the institution's persistent inequalities show it's still a rigorous fitness test that many, particularly those without a college degree or in remarriages, continue to fail, and the midlife crowd is sprinting for the exit in record numbers.
More related reading
04 · Category
Economic Factors25 stats
01
Economic inequality explains 40% of marriage decline per studies
02
60% of low-income adults under 35 unmarried vs 20% high-income
03
Student debt delays marriage for 25% of millennials
04
Unemployment correlates with 15% lower marriage rates
05
Housing costs: $100k+ income needed for marriage in coastal cities
06
Wage stagnation since 1970s reduced marriage by 20%
07
80% of men with jobs marry by 40 vs 50% unemployed
08
Blue-collar job loss tied to 30% marriage drop in Rust Belt
09
College premium: grads 75% married vs 50% non-grads at 30-44
10
Gini coefficient rise correlates with never-married up 10%
11
55% cite finances as barrier to marriage in surveys
12
Median home price up 400% since 1980, delaying family formation
13
Gig economy workers 2x less likely to marry
14
Black male incarceration reduces marriage pool by 20%, economic impact
15
Women out-earning men delays marriage in 40% couples
16
Rural poverty areas: marriage rates 4/1,000 vs urban affluent 8+
17
Inflation 2022: 25% delayed weddings due to costs
18
Corporate jobs vs service: 65% vs 40% marriage rates
19
45% of young adults say can't afford marriage ceremonies
20
Income inequality by state: correlates r=0.7 with low marriage rates
21
California vs Utah: high cost states 30% lower marriage
22
Post-recession 2008: marriage down 15% persistently
23
70% of never-married cite "not found right partner" but econ factors underlie
24
Women's labor participation up 50% since 1970 reduces traditional marriage
25
Childcare costs $10k+/yr deter marriage/family
Interpretation
Economic Factors Interpretation
It seems Cupid’s arrows can no longer fly without a stable economic launchpad, as the modern altar is built upon the increasingly shaky foundations of debt, inequality, and the soul-crushing cost of a decent roof overhead.
05 · Category
Marriage Rates30 stats
01
In 2021, the U.S. marriage rate dropped to 5.1 per 1,000 total population, the lowest since 1867
02
From 2000 to 2020, U.S. marriages declined by 60%, from 2.3 million to 1.5 million annually
03
Marriage rate for women aged 15-44 fell from 76.5 per 1,000 in 1990 to 31.1 in 2019
04
In 2022, only 46% of U.S. adults aged 25+ were married, down from 72% in 1960
05
U.S. first marriage rate for men dropped 50% from 1970 to 2020
06
Provisional 2020 U.S. marriage rate was 5.1/1,000, a 17% decline from 2019
07
In 2019, marriage rate was lowest for ages 25-34 at 21.7/1,000 women
08
U.S. marriages totaled 1,676,911 in 2020, down 863,000 from 2019 peak
09
From 1990-2021, crude marriage rate halved from 9.8 to 5.1/1,000
10
Among millennials, only 44% married by age 30 vs 61% of Gen X
11
Black Americans' marriage rate fell to 17.3/1,000 in 2021 from 30+ in 1990
12
Hispanic marriage rate 14.2/1,000 in 2021, down from 25+ in 2000
13
White non-Hispanic marriage rate 5.4/1,000 in 2021, stable but low
14
Asian marriage rate 6.8/1,000 in 2021, lowest among groups historically
15
In 2022, 34 states reported marriage rates below 6/1,000 population
16
California marriages fell 40% from 2019 to 2020 to 146,633
17
New York marriage count dropped 55% in 2020 to 85,000+
18
Florida saw 25% decline in marriages 2019-2020 to 200,000+
19
Texas marriages down 20% to 300,000+ in 2020
20
Nevada, marriage capital, rate fell to 20.3/1,000 in 2021 from 25+
21
From 2010-2020, U.S. marriage rate averaged 6.5/1,000, down from 8.2
22
25% fewer marriages in 2020 vs pre-pandemic average
23
Marriage rate for ages 35-44: 22.4/1,000 women in 2019
24
Rates lowest in Northeast U.S. at 4.5/1,000 avg 2015-2019
25
West region marriage rate 6.1/1,000 2015-2019
26
Midwest 6.8/1,000, South 6.7/1,000 avg pre-2020
27
Urban areas marriage rate 5.8/1,000 vs rural 6.2/1,000 2018
28
College grads marriage rate higher at 7.2/1,000 vs non-grads
29
No HS diploma marriage rate 4.1/1,000 in recent years
30
HS grads only: 5.5/1,000 marriage rate
Interpretation
Marriage Rates Interpretation
It seems the institution of marriage is now less of a walk down the aisle and more of a cautious stroll through the statistics, with Americans increasingly preferring the single life or other partnerships over tying the knot that has been steadily loosening for decades.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Marriage Decline Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marriage-decline-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Marriage Decline Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marriage-decline-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Marriage Decline Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marriage-decline-statistics.
Sources & references
5 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level