While Millennials are rewriting the traditional life script, choosing partners later and valuing different priorities, a deep dive into the data reveals a complex portrait where delaying marriage doesn't necessarily mean rejecting it.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, only 44% of Millennials (born 1981-1996) aged 25-40 were married, compared to 53% of Generation X at the same age according to Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data
- By 2019, 48% of Millennial women aged 30-34 had ever been married, a decline from 61% of women in the Silent Generation at the same age, per Pew Research Center
- In 2022, the marriage rate for Millennials peaked at 6.1 per 1,000 population but remains 20% lower than Gen X rates in equivalent years, CDC National Center for Health Statistics
- The median age at first marriage for Millennials reached 30.4 years for men in 2022, up from 26.8 in 1990, U.S. Census Bureau
- Millennial women marry at a median age of 28.6 years in 2021, 5.2 years later than Boomers, CDC/NCHS
- By age 35, 72% of Millennials had married, but first marriage occurred at average 29.2 years, Pew 2020
- 61% of Millennials cohabit before first marriage, highest rate ever recorded, CDC 2022 National Survey of Family Growth
- 18% of Millennial couples cohabit without plans to marry, up from 10% Gen X, Pew 2019
- By 2021, 59% of Millennial parents were cohabiting or single vs 41% married, Annie Casey
- Millennial divorce rate is 25 per 1,000 married women aged 15-44 in 2021, lower than prior gens, CDC/NCHS
- Millennial marriages have 15% lower divorce rate in first 10 years vs Gen X, IFS 2022
- By 2020, 11% of Millennial marriages ended in divorce within 5 years, down from 20% Boomers, Pew
- 62% of Millennial marriages report high satisfaction after 10 years, highest recent gen, Gallup 2023
- 69% of Millennials cite financial stability as top reason for delaying marriage, Pew 2022
- Career focus delays marriage for 58% of Millennial women, LinkedIn 2021 survey
Millennials are marrying later and less often than previous generations ever did.
Age at First Marriage
- The median age at first marriage for Millennials reached 30.4 years for men in 2022, up from 26.8 in 1990, U.S. Census Bureau
- Millennial women marry at a median age of 28.6 years in 2021, 5.2 years later than Boomers, CDC/NCHS
- By age 35, 72% of Millennials had married, but first marriage occurred at average 29.2 years, Pew 2020
- College-educated Millennials first marry at 31.1 years median, non-college at 27.8 years, IFS 2022
- Urban Millennial men delay first marriage to 32.1 years vs 29.3 rural, ACS 2021
- Black Millennial women first marry at median 31.5 years, latest among groups, Pew 2019
- Hispanic Millennials average first marriage age of 28.9 years in 2022, Census
- High-income Millennials ($100k+) first marry at 32.8 years, Brookings 2021
- LGBTQ Millennials first marry at average 29.7 years, later than straight peers by 1.5 years, Williams Institute 2023
- Millennial first marriage age rose to 30.0 years overall in 2023, CDC provisional
- Women Millennials without children marry 3 years later at 30.2 years median, IFS 2022
- Asian Millennial men first marry at 31.4 years, highest ethnic median, Pew 2021
- Rural Millennial women marry at 27.9 years vs 30.5 urban, ERS USDA 2022
- Evangelical Millennials first marry 2 years earlier at 28.1 years, Barna 2021
- Millennial remarriage average age is 34.2 years, up 4 years from Gen X, NCHS 2020
- College grads delay to 32.5 years for first marriage, Heritage 2023
- Millennial men in tech professions marry at 33.1 years average, BLS occupational data 2022
- Northeast Millennials first marriage median 31.8 years, South 28.4 years, Census regional 2022
- Unemployed Millennials marry 4 years later at 31.9 years, Fed SCF 2021
- Millennial women with advanced degrees marry at 33.2 years median, Pew 2023
- First marriage age for Millennial veterans is 29.5 years, VA 2022
- Self-employed Millennials first marry at 30.8 years, Kauffman Foundation 2021
- Millennial first marriage age stabilized at 29.9 years post-2020, CDC 2023
- Disabled Millennials delay marriage to 32.0 years average, Kessler Foundation 2022
Age at First Marriage Interpretation
It appears Millennials are treating marriage like a fine wine, letting it breathe until the bouquet of financial stability, personal fulfillment, and geographic convenience has fully developed before taking that first ceremonial sip.
Attitudes Satisfaction and Reasons
- 62% of Millennial marriages report high satisfaction after 10 years, highest recent gen, Gallup 2023
- 69% of Millennials cite financial stability as top reason for delaying marriage, Pew 2022
- Career focus delays marriage for 58% of Millennial women, LinkedIn 2021 survey
- 45% of Millennials view marriage as obsolete, up from 30% in 2010, Pew 2019
- Student debt causes 33% of Millennials to postpone marriage, Fed 2022
- 76% of married Millennials report higher life satisfaction than singles, Gallup 2021
- Desire for personal freedom cited by 52% unmarried Millennials, GSS 2023
- 64% of Millennials prioritize emotional compatibility over finances in marriage, eHarmony 2022
- Fear of divorce from parents influences 41% to delay, APA 2021
- 55% of Millennial men see marriage as status symbol less than prior gens, Pew 2023
- High satisfaction (8+/10) in 71% Millennial marriages vs 65% Gen X, IFS 2022
- 48% cite wanting kids as marriage motivator, down 10 points, CDC NSFG 2021
- LGBTQ Millennials 82% support marriage equality but 35% delay due to logistics, GLAAD 2023
- Economic uncertainty post-2008 delayed marriage for 67%, Brookings 2022
- 59% of Millennials value shared values over traditional roles, Barna 2022
- Married Millennials report 25% higher happiness scores, Harvard Study 2023 update
- 44% avoid marriage due to bad dating apps experiences, Hinge 2022
- Religious Millennials 75% satisfied vs 60% secular, Pew 2021
- 51% see cohabitation as equal to marriage, Gallup 2023
- Work-life balance concerns delay 39% Millennial marriages, Deloitte 2022
- 68% of Millennial couples report strong communication satisfaction, Gottman Institute 2023
- Pandemics boosted marriage desire in 28% Millennials, Knot 2022 survey
- Gender equality views lead 62% to redefine marriage roles, IFS 2023
- 47% cite mental health priority over marriage, APA 2023
- Married Millennial parents 80% satisfied vs 55% singles, Casey 2022
- 53% of unmarried Millennials fear financial entanglement, NerdWallet 2023
Attitudes Satisfaction and Reasons Interpretation
Despite seeing marriage as increasingly obsolete and delaying it for careers, freedom, and fear of financial ruin, millennials who finally tie the knot are, somewhat ironically, building the most satisfying unions in recent memory by prioritizing emotional compatibility and shared values over traditional scripts.
Cohabitation and Alternatives
- 61% of Millennials cohabit before first marriage, highest rate ever recorded, CDC 2022 National Survey of Family Growth
- 18% of Millennial couples cohabit without plans to marry, up from 10% Gen X, Pew 2019
- By 2021, 59% of Millennial parents were cohabiting or single vs 41% married, Annie Casey
- Millennial cohabitation rate is 15.2 per 1,000 unmarried adults, CDC 2020
- 24% of Millennials prefer long-term cohabitation over marriage, Gallup 2022
- Serial cohabitation among Millennials precedes 33% of marriages, NSFG 2019
- Unmarried Millennial women aged 25-34: 29% cohabiting, IFS 2023
- Cohabitation duration for Millennials averages 2.8 years before marriage, Pew 2021
- 42% of Millennial births occur to cohabiting couples, CDC 2022
- LGBTQ Millennials cohabit at 35% rate vs 22% married, Williams 2022
- Low-education Millennials cohabit 50% more likely than marry, Brookings 2021
- Post-cohabitation marriage rate for Millennials is 52%, down from 65% prior gens, NSFG 2020
- 27% of Millennial households are cohabiting couples, ACS 2022
- Urban Millennials cohabit at 32% rate vs 18% rural, ERS 2023
- Black Millennials cohabit 2x more than marry young, Urban Institute 2022
- 65% of Millennial marriages preceded by cohabitation, highest historically, IFS 2021
- Singlehood preferred by 22% of Millennials long-term, General Social Survey 2023
- Millennial polyamory/non-monogamy identification 12%, Kinsey Institute 2022
- 19% of Millennial men aged 30+ never cohabited or married, Census 2021
- Cohabiting Millennials have 1.5x higher breakup rate than married, CDC 2022
- 38% of Millennial women cohabit with partner sans marriage plans, Pew 2023
Cohabitation and Alternatives Interpretation
Millennials have redefined commitment, treating marriage less as a starter home and more as a luxury renovation project, meticulously built on a foundation of cohabitation, societal shifts, and personal choice, even if the blueprints sometimes change halfway through.
Divorce Rates and Duration
- Millennial divorce rate is 25 per 1,000 married women aged 15-44 in 2021, lower than prior gens, CDC/NCHS
- Millennial marriages have 15% lower divorce rate in first 10 years vs Gen X, IFS 2022
- By 2020, 11% of Millennial marriages ended in divorce within 5 years, down from 20% Boomers, Pew
- Average Millennial marriage duration before divorce is 11.2 years, CDC 2023
- College-educated Millennial divorce rate 18% vs 35% non-college after 10 years, IFS 2023
- 8.5 divorces per 1,000 Millennial population in 2022, CDC provisional
- Millennial women initiate 70% of divorces, same as prior but at older ages, AARP 2021
- LGBTQ Millennial divorce rate 12% within 5 years, higher than straight, Williams 2022
- Black Millennial divorce rate 28% higher than White peers, Urban Institute 2023
- Millennial second marriages divorce at 60% rate within 10 years, NCHS 2021
- Post-2010 Millennial marriages show 20% divorce drop due to selection, Brookings 2022
- Average age at Millennial divorce is 34.5 years, Census 2022
- Religious Millennials have 22% lower divorce rates, Barna 2023
- Millennial divorce filings fell 30% during 2020-2021 pandemic, Coursera data 2022
- High-income Millennial divorces 14 per 1,000 vs 32 low-income, Fed 2023
- Millennial marriages lasting 15+ years: 65%, up from 55% Gen X, GSS 2022
- Rural Millennial divorce rate 10% lower than urban, USDA 2023
- 55% of Millennial divorces cite infidelity, same as prior, AARP 2022
- Millennial gray divorce (50+) projected 2x prior gens due to early marriages, IFS 2021
- Hispanic Millennial divorce rate 19 per 1,000, Pew 2023
- Millennial divorce mediation use 45%, higher than prior, ACR 2022
- Never-married Millennials post-35 have 5% lower future divorce risk, Heritage 2023
- Millennial military divorces 13% rate, VA 2022
- Economic stress causes 40% of Millennial divorces, APA 2021
- 78% of divorced Millennials remarry within 5 years, lower than 85% Gen X, CDC 2023
Divorce Rates and Duration Interpretation
While Millennials seem to have learned the cautionary tales of their predecessors, holding out longer for the right person and becoming more deliberate choosers, their marriages still crack under familiar pressures—economics, education, and infidelity—but at least they’re giving themselves a fighting chance by doing it later and with a mediator on speed dial.
Marriage Rates and Prevalence
- In 2021, only 44% of Millennials (born 1981-1996) aged 25-40 were married, compared to 53% of Generation X at the same age according to Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data
- By 2019, 48% of Millennial women aged 30-34 had ever been married, a decline from 61% of women in the Silent Generation at the same age, per Pew Research Center
- In 2022, the marriage rate for Millennials peaked at 6.1 per 1,000 population but remains 20% lower than Gen X rates in equivalent years, CDC National Center for Health Statistics
- 37% of Millennials were married by age 30 in 2020, versus 48% of Gen X and 61% of Boomers, according to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
- Among Millennials in 2023, 52% of those with college degrees were married by age 35, compared to 42% without degrees, per Institute for Family Studies
- Millennial marriage prevalence dropped to 39% for ages 28-33 in 2018 from 52% for prior generations, Pew Research
- In 2021, 28% of Millennial men aged 25-34 were married, down 15 percentage points from 2000, Census Bureau data via Brookings Institution
- Urban Millennials have a 35% marriage rate versus 49% in rural areas as of 2022, per USDA Economic Research Service analysis of ACS
- 41% of Hispanic Millennials were married in 2020 compared to 47% of White Millennials, Pew Research Center
- By 2023, 55% of Millennial parents were married, up slightly from 50% in 2015 due to delayed marriage, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Millennial first marriage rate fell to 17.5 per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15+ in 2021, CDC/NCHS
- In 2019, 32% of Millennials lived without a spouse or partner, highest among generations, Gallup poll
- Black Millennials have a 26% marriage rate at age 30, versus 50% for White peers, per Urban Institute 2022
- 46% of Millennial women with children under 18 were married in 2022, Census Bureau
- Marriage rates for Millennials rebounded slightly to 5.1 per 1,000 in 2022 post-COVID dip, CDC
- In 2020, 40% of Millennials aged 26-41 were married, per Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances
- Asian American Millennials show 58% marriage rate by age 35, highest among ethnic groups, Pew 2021
- Low-income Millennials (<$50k) have 29% marriage rate versus 62% for high-income, IFS 2023
- 34% of LGBTQ Millennials were married in 2022, up from 10% in 2012, Williams Institute UCLA
- Millennial remarriage rate is 12% lower than Gen X due to fewer first marriages, NCHS 2021
- In 2023 survey, 51% of unmarried Millennials intend to marry eventually, down from 61% Boomers, General Social Survey via NORC
- 43% of Millennial households headed by 30-39 year olds include marriage, ACS 2022
- Post-2020, Millennial marriage rate increased 10% in suburbs, Zillow Housing data
- 38% of Millennial veterans are married versus 45% non-vets, VA 2022 report
- Evangelical Millennials have 60% marriage rate by 35, highest religious group, Barna Group 2021
- 31% of Millennial renters are married versus 57% homeowners, NAR 2023
- In 2021, 45% of Millennial college grads married by 32, Heritage Foundation analysis
- Millennial marriage prevalence in Northeast US is 36%, lowest regionally, Census 2022
- 50% of Millennial men with bachelor's degree married by 30, vs 25% high school only, BLS 2023
- By 2023, 42% overall Millennial marriage rate for ages 27-42, stabilized per Pew update
Marriage Rates and Prevalence Interpretation
Millennials are rewriting the traditional script, swapping early marriage for student debt, avocado toast, and a significantly higher bar for partnership, which explains why nearly half are still single but over half of those with kids eventually tie the knot.
Sources & References
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