From soaring Vegas chapels to quiet Northeastern vows, the story of American marriage is being rewritten by surprising new trends, as the latest data reveals everything from dramatic post-pandemic rebounds to sharp generational declines and surprising state-by-state disparities.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the U.S. marriage rate was 6.2 per 1,000 total population, up from 6.1 in 2021
- The number of marriages in the U.S. in 2021 totaled 2,077,000, a 12% increase from 2020's 1,850,000
- From 2012 to 2021, U.S. marriage rates declined by 22%, from 6.8 to 5.3 per 1,000 before rebounding slightly
- In 2021, U.S. divorce rate was 2.5 per 1,000 population, down from 3.6 in 2010
- Number of divorces in 2021 was 689,308, a 14% decline from 2019's 746,000
- Divorce rate peaked at 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981
- Mean age at first marriage for men rose from 22.5 in 1950 to 30.2 in 2022
- Women's mean age at first marriage increased from 20.1 in 1950 to 28.4 in 2022
- In 2021, 30% of men aged 25-29 never married, up from 11% in 1970
- 17% of adults 50+ ever remarried in 2021
- 40% of marriages are remarriages for at least one partner
- Second marriages comprise 29% of all U.S. marriages
- 64% of U.S. adults married or living with partner, 36% single in 2021
- 52% of adults 25+ married in 2021, highest for ages 45-54 at 65%
- College grads 65% married vs 50% high school only
The U.S. marriage rate has declined long-term but is experiencing a recent post-pandemic rebound.
Age at Marriage
1Mean age at first marriage for men rose from 22.5 in 1950 to 30.2 in 2022
Verified2Women's mean age at first marriage increased from 20.1 in 1950 to 28.4 in 2022
Verified3In 2021, 30% of men aged 25-29 never married, up from 11% in 1970
Verified4Median age first marriage men 30.1 years in 2020
Directional5Women median 28.6 at first marriage in 2020
Single source6By age 35, 75% of women born 1980-84 had married vs 85% born 1960-64
Verified735% of Gen Z adults 18-25 married in 2021, down from 50% Boomers at same age
Verified8College-educated women first marry at 27.1 average vs 23.9 non-college
Verified9Black women first marriage age 30.9 vs 26.1 white women in 2018
Directional10Hispanic men first marriage 27.4 years median in 2020
Single source11Asian women average first marriage age 29.2 in 2019, highest by race
Verified12From 1970-2020, men's first marriage age rose 6.1 years
Verified1350% of women marry by age 28 today vs age 22 in 1970
Verified14Never-married share for ages 25-34: 35% men, 27% women in 2021
Directional15Urban women first marry at 28.9 vs 27.2 rural
Single source16Midwest men first marriage 29.3 average vs Northeast 30.8 in 2019
Verified17High school only men marry at 26.2 vs postgrad 31.5
Verified1840-year-olds never married hit 25% record in 2021
Verified19Boomer women married by 30 at 82% rate vs Millennial 60%
Directional20Same-sex men first marriage median age 34.5 in 2019
Single source21Same-sex women 32.1 median first marriage age
Verified22During WWII, men married at 24.3 average, post-war 23.1
Verified232022 data: men 30.5, women 28.6 first marriage
Verified24By age 45, 85% Millennial men married vs 90% prior gens
Directional25Never-married men 25-50 income <$30k: 52%
Single source26Women with children first marry younger by 2.1 years
Verified27Northeast highest first marriage age: men 31.2, women 29.4
Verified28South lowest: men 28.9, women 27.0
Verified2928% of never-married adults 40-44 cite career focus as reason
Directional3022% of 30-49 never-married say too picky
Single source3138% of never-married under 30 want to marry someday
VerifiedAge at Marriage Interpretation
It seems modern love has traded the impulsive altar sprint for a cautious marathon, carefully navigating careers, finances, and personal fulfillment along the way.
Divorce Rates and Trends
1In 2021, U.S. divorce rate was 2.5 per 1,000 population, down from 3.6 in 2010
Verified2Number of divorces in 2021 was 689,308, a 14% decline from 2019's 746,000
Verified3Divorce rate peaked at 5.3 per 1,000 in 1981
Verified4From 2008-2021, U.S. divorce rates fell 25%
Directional5Nevada highest divorce rate 4.2 per 1,000 in 2022
Single source6Massachusetts lowest at 0.9 divorces per 1,000 in 2021
Verified745% of first marriages end in divorce within 20 years
Verified8Divorce rate for second marriages is 60%, third 73%
Verified9In 1960, divorce rate was 2.2 per 1,000, rising to 5.2 by 1979
Directional10Refined divorce rate per 1,000 married women 15+ was 15.1 in 2021
Single source11Divorces per 1,000 women 15-44 dropped from 22.6 in 1980 to 11.3 in 2021
Verified12Arkansas highest divorce rate 3.4 per 1,000 in 2021
Verified13California reported 69,000 divorces in 2021, most numerically
Verified14Black divorce rate 30.8 per 1,000 married women 15+ in 2018, highest
Directional15Asian rate lowest at 7.3 per 1,000 married women in 2018
Single source162020 saw divorce filings drop 11% due to COVID lockdowns
Verified17Women initiate 69% of divorces in heterosexual marriages
Verified18Median duration of marriages ending in divorce is 8 years
Verified19Northeast divorce rate 1.8 per 1,000 in 2021, lowest regionally
Directional20South highest regional divorce rate 2.8 per 1,000 in 2021
Single source21Divorces for ages 45-54 peaked at 25 per 1,000 married in 2008
Verified22Gray divorce (50+) rate doubled from 1990-2010 to 10 per 1,000
Verified232022 divorce rate 2.4 per 1,000, slight decline from 2021
Verified24No-fault divorce laws correlated with 10-20% divorce spike in 1970s-80s
Directional25Online divorces rose 20% post-2020 via virtual courts
Single source2625% of divorced couples reconcile within 5 years
Verified27Military divorce rate 3.1 per 1,000 in 2021 vs civilian 2.5
Verified28Same-sex divorce rate 1.1% annually vs 2% opposite-sex
Verified29In 2021, median age at divorce for women was 45.1 years
Directional30For men, median divorce age 47.3 in 2021
Single sourceDivorce Rates and Trends Interpretation
Despite the lingering odds being grim enough to make a Vegas bookie blush, Americans are divorcing at historically lower rates, suggesting we're either getting better at picking partners, better at tolerating them, or have simply given up and opted for mutual, quiet desperation.
Marriage Rates and Trends
1In 2022, the U.S. marriage rate was 6.2 per 1,000 total population, up from 6.1 in 2021
Verified2The number of marriages in the U.S. in 2021 totaled 2,077,000, a 12% increase from 2020's 1,850,000
Verified3From 2012 to 2021, U.S. marriage rates declined by 22%, from 6.8 to 5.3 per 1,000 before rebounding slightly
Verified4In 1900, the U.S. marriage rate was 9.3 per 1,000, peaking at 16.4 in 1946 post-WWII
Directional5Nevada had the highest marriage rate in 2022 at 25.9 per 1,000, driven by Las Vegas weddings
Single source6Hawaii had the lowest marriage rate in 2021 at 10.9 per 1,000 population
Verified7U.S. marriages dropped 49% from 1970's 10.6 per 1,000 to 5.1 in 2020 due to COVID-19
Verified8In 2019, 50% of U.S. adults aged 18+ were married, down from 72% in 1960
Verified9The refined marriage rate (per 1,000 unmarried women 15+) was 31.3 in 2021
Directional10Marriages per 1,000 women aged 15-44 fell from 76.5 in 1970 to 26.3 in 2021
Single source11U.S. marriage rate for ages 25-54 was 17.8 per 1,000 in 2018
Verified12From 2000-2019, annual U.S. marriages averaged 2.2 million
Verified13Post-COVID rebound saw 2.4 million marriages in 2022
Verified14Marriage rate among college graduates is 65% higher than non-grads
Directional15In 2020, only 4.8 marriages per 1,000 due to pandemic shutdowns, lowest since 1900
Single source16Utah's marriage rate was 19.8 per 1,000 in 2022, second highest nationally
Verified17Massachusetts had a marriage rate of 4.0 per 1,000 in 2021, among the lowest
Verified18Marriage rates for Black Americans were 14.7 per 1,000 in 2018, lowest by race
Verified19Asian Americans had 22.1 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women 15+ in 2019
Directional20From 1990-2020, U.S. marriage rates halved from 9.8 to 5.1 per 1,000
Single source21New Jersey's marriage rate was 3.9 per 1,000 in 2022, lowest nationally
Verified22In 1950s, peak decade averaged 10.5 marriages per 1,000 annually
Verified232023 provisional data shows marriage rate at 6.5 per 1,000
Verified24Marriage rate for men aged 25-34 was 28.5 per 1,000 in 2019
Directional25Women aged 35-44 had 18.2 marriages per 1,000 unmarried in 2021
Single source26Rural areas had 7.2 marriage rate vs 5.8 urban in 2018
Verified27Midwest region marriage rate 6.8 per 1,000 in 2021, highest regionally
Verified28Northeast lowest at 4.5 marriages per 1,000 in 2021
Verified29Hispanic marriage rate 18.4 per 1,000 unmarried women 15+ in 2019
Directional30White non-Hispanic rate 27.2 per 1,000 unmarried women in 2019
Single sourceMarriage Rates and Trends Interpretation
While it appears the institution of marriage has been trading at a bear market for decades, the recent post-pandemic rally—spearheaded by Vegas elopements and heartland vows—suggests love isn't going public anytime soon, though it's definitely become a more exclusive offering.
Marriage by Demographics
164% of U.S. adults married or living with partner, 36% single in 2021
Verified252% of adults 25+ married in 2021, highest for ages 45-54 at 65%
Verified3College grads 65% married vs 50% high school only
Verified4Black adults 32% married vs 53% whites in 2021
Directional5Hispanics 47% married, Asians 60% highest
Single source6Women more likely single: 30% vs 27% men 25+
Verified7Urban 48% married vs 56% rural adults
Verified8Midwest 54% married, highest region, Northeast 48% lowest
Verified9Never-married Black women 40+ : 40%, highest by group
Directional10Income >$100k: 62% married vs 38% <$30k
Single source11Evangelical Protestants 67% married vs 45% unaffiliated
Verified12Immigrants 55% married vs 50% U.S.-born
Verified13LGBTQ+ adults 19% married, mostly same-sex since 2015
Verified14Gen Z 18-29: 14% married, Millennials 37%
Directional15Baby Boomers 55% married, Silent Gen 58%
Single source16Disabled adults 42% married vs 55% non-disabled
Verified17Veterans 60% married vs 50% civilians
Verified18Republicans 57% married vs 47% Democrats
Verified19Southern states average 52% married adults
Directional2028% interracial marriages in 2021, up from 3% 1967
Single source21Asian-white intermarriages 29%, highest rate
Verified22Same-sex married couples: 1.2 million, 59% female couples
Verified23Single mothers 15% of adults, married parents 62% of families with kids
Verified24High-income metro areas 55% married, rural low-income 45%
Directional25Catholics 54% married, similar to average
Single source26Jews 60% married, high interfaith 58%
Verified2735% of married couples dual-earners both college grads
Verified28Foreign-born Hispanics 52% married vs U.S.-born 42%
Verified29Military spouses 90% married within service
Directional3048% of adults 30-49 married with kids under 18
Single source31Never-married by politics: conservatives 20%, liberals 35% 40+
VerifiedMarriage by Demographics Interpretation
The American marital landscape is a complex and often contradictory tapestry where love, demographics, and life circumstances conspire to reveal that you're most likely to be married if you're a college-educated, middle-aged, white, evangelical, Republican veteran living comfortably in the rural Midwest, and least likely if you're a young, liberal, disabled, urban, Black woman with a low income and no religious affiliation.
Remarriage and Serial Marriage
117% of adults 50+ ever remarried in 2021
Verified240% of marriages are remarriages for at least one partner
Verified3Second marriages comprise 29% of all U.S. marriages
Verified416% of married adults are in remarriages
Directional5Men remarry faster: 64% within 5 years of divorce vs 52% women
Single source667% of previously married men remarry vs 52% women, lifetime
Verified7Blended families: 16% of children live with stepparent
Verified8Serial marriages (3+): 13% of ever-married adults
Verified9Remarriage rate per 1,000 widowed/divorced men 15+: 120 in 2018
Directional10For women, 90 per 1,000 previously married
Single source11Age 55-64 highest remarriage rate 28 per 1,000
Verified12Cohabitation before remarriage: 60% of remarried couples
Verified13Divorced with kids remarry at 50% rate vs 70% childless
Verified14White remarriage rate 110 per 1,000 previously married vs Black 70
Directional15Hispanic 95 per 1,000
Single source1625% of remarriages involve age gap >10 years
Verified17Widow(er)s remarry at 20% rate vs divorced 65%
Verified18Online dating drives 20% of remarriages post-2010
Verified19Stepfamilies 15% of households with children
Directional20Men 65+ remarry at 15 per 1,000, highest elderly rate
Single source21Women 65+ only 8 per 1,000
Verified2230% of serial monogamists (3+ spouses) divorced within 5 years each
Verified23Remarried couples divorce 1.5x faster than first marriages
Verified2442% of remarried have children from prior unions
Directional25Cross-racial remarriages 10% of all remarriages, up from 5% 1990
Single source26Education homogamy lower in remarriages: 40% same level vs 60% first
Verified27Rural remarriage rate 110 per 1,000 vs urban 95
Verified28Northeast lowest remarriage 85 per 1,000 previously married
Verified29South highest 115 per 1,000
Directional30Post-divorce cohabitation leads to remarriage 50% of time
Single source3112% of adults married 3+ times
Verified32Remarriage age average 38 for men, 35 women
Verified3355% of married by education: college grads higher remarriage
VerifiedRemarriage and Serial Marriage Interpretation
Despite the sobering odds, America's romantic landscape is a resilient patchwork of second chances, stubborn optimism, and statistically questionable decisions, proving that when it comes to love, we're all a little bit data-driven and a whole lot hopeful.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 2PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 3IFSTUDIESifstudies.orgVisit source
- Reference 4CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 5BGSUbgsu.eduVisit source
- Reference 6WONDERwonder.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 7JOURNALSjournals.sagepub.comVisit source
- Reference 8AEAWEBaeaweb.orgVisit source
- Reference 9VAva.govVisit source