California Weddings
California Love, Marriage and Single Statistics
As U.S. marriage rate hovers at 50%, education gap in marital status widens
Half of U.S. adults today are married, a share that has remained relatively
stable in recent years but is down 9 percentage points over the past quarter
century and dramatically different from the peak of 72% in 1960.
The share of Americans living without a partner has increased, especially
among young adults. In the past 10 years, the share of U.S. adults living
without a spouse or partner has climbed to 42%, up from 39% in 2007.
63% of U.S. residents 18 and older in 2015
had never been married. Another 24% were divorced and 13% were widowed.
Nationwide, single young men outnumber their female counterparts. The
overall male-to-female ratio is 115:100 among single adults ages 25 to 34.
But when we limit the young men to those who are currently employed, the
ratio falls to 84 employed single men for every 100 single women.
Best marriage markets
For women seeking a male partner with a job, our analysis found that San
Jose, Calif., tops the list among large metro areas, with 114 single
employed men for every 100 single women. Among all single young adults,
there were 141 men for every 100 women in this area. Over half (57%) of
young adults ages 25 to 34 in the metro area, which includes Sunnyvale and
Santa Clara, were single.
1. Sunnyvale - San Jose - Santa Clara 114 unmarried working men to 100 women
2Denver 101 men
3 Carlsbad - San Diego 99 men
4 Minneapolis 98
5 Seattle 96
6 San Francisco - Oakland 93 men
7 Washington DC
8 Los Angeles - Long Beach 91
9 Pittsburg 90
10 Orlando 90
Worst marriage markets
1. Memphis 59 men
2. Jacksonville 70
3. Detroit 71
4. Charlotte, NC 73
5. Philadelphia 74
Half of U.S. adults today are married, a share that has remained relatively
stable in recent years but is down 9 percentage points over the past quarter
century and dramatically different from the peak of 72% in 1960, according
to newly released census data.
Americans are marrying later in life these days. In 2016, the median age for
a first marriage was 27.4 for women and 29.5 for men - roughly seven years
more than the median ages in 1960 (20.3 for women and 22.8 for men). But
delayed marriage may not explain all of the drop-off.
College degree age 25 years and older 65% married, High School degree 50%
54% of white adults ages 18 and older were married. Asians 61%, Hispanics
46%, blacks 30%
Never married adults: haven't met the right person 72%, lack financial
stability 68%, not ready to settle down 54%
Pew Research
Love remains Americans' top reason to marry. 88%
The share of Americans who are married is at its lowest point since at least
1920. Men are staying single longer. Not feeling financially prepared for
the commitment: 34%
Remarriage is rising while marriage declines. In 2013, 23% of all married
people had been married before, compared with just 13% in 1960. In that same
year, 40% of new marriages included a spouse who had been married previously, and in 20% of new marriages both spouses had been married at
least once before.
Cohabiting with a partner continues to rise, especially among those 50 and older who make up 23% of cohabiters.