Patterns of marriage and adulthood in the U.S. have changed dramatically over time. The culture around marriage today is a far cry from what it was when our grandparents got married, and in many ways, that’s a good thing.
Americans of my generation (Gen Z) are less likely to get married1 because it’s “what you’re supposed to do” or because of financial necessity. But is marrying for love a realistic and achievable goal in the 21st century?
I’m going to break down the numbers of what marriage looks like today versus past trends and what that means for modern singles and couples.
1. In 2018, 32% of Men Married Between Ages 25-29
For many American men, their mid-to-late 20s seem to be the sweet spot for modern marriages. In 2018, Bowling Green State University found that 32% of men got married between the ages of 25 and 292, the highest number for any age demographic.
While the median marriage age for men is a bit higher – 30.53 – the years right before this age seemed to be a slightly more popular time for men to marry than the ones after it.
Many people get serious about their relationships or find themselves in a stable enough place to consider marriage in their late twenties. They’re finally able to afford to live on their own, stay working in the same place, and even pay for a wedding.
For people who have been in a serious relationship for their early adulthood, it’s the time when getting married starts to feel more feasible.
2. In 1960, 54% of Men Got Married at Ages 20-24
But marriages, of course, have not always skewed toward adults in their late twenties. Bowling Green State University also found that in 1960, the highest percentage of men married between ages 20-24 was a staggering 54%4.
There are plenty of reasons men married younger in the mid-20th century. For one, it was more common for young people to live at home with their parents and then move directly into a home with their spouse.
Premarital sex and cohabitation were also more taboo at that time, making it more appealing to marry young.
3. First Marriage After 30? It Went From 11% of Men in 1960 to 48% in 2018
In the mid-20th century, being a never-married man over 30 was virtually unheard of. Men married young – primarily in their early 20s – and were well-settled into married life by their 30s.
In 1960, only 11% of men married after age 305.
The norms around marriage have changed dramatically.
By 2018, that was most certainly no longer the case. Slightly less than half of men (48%) married after age 30.
Marrying after 30 is now seen as a mature choice. It means giving time for a career to grow and decide what one truly wants out of life. And there’s some data to suggest that those who wait to marry until 30 are less likely to divorce.
4. In 1960, 16% of Women Married Under 18 (Compared to 2% in 2018)
Some marriage trends draw concern from people wishing it were more like the “good old days.” But this is one stat that basically everyone can agree is a positive development. Far fewer girls are getting married nowadays than they were in the 20th century.
In 1960, 16% of women married under the age of 186 – a bigger percentage than the minuscule 6% of women who got married over 30 at that time.
Fortunately, that trend has reversed today, with 2% of women marrying under age 18 and 40% marrying over age 30.
Adults can (and should!) get married at whatever age they please. Call me a radical feminist, but I think declines in child marriage are certainly a positive.
5. Since 1990, Midlife Marriages Increased 75% for Women
While it’s become commonplace for women to get married in their late twenties and early thirties, marriages in midlife have increased in the past thirty years, too.
Bowling Green State University found that in 1990, just 2% of women marrying for the first time were between ages 40-597. By 2019, that number had shot up to 9% of women marrying between 40 and 59.
I would point out that 9% is still a small part of the total number of women marrying at an older age.
This statistic may point to more women struggling to find a suitable partner or waiting to marry because they’re not interested in having children. I see it as a hopeful statistic that love is possible at any age.
6. From 1990-2019, Midlife Marriages Increased 45% for Men
The social pressures to marry young weigh on men as well as women. Fortunately, it has become increasingly normalized to get married later in life.
In 1990, just 3% of men married between ages 40-59. That rate went up to 12% by 20198.
If you’ve gotten to midlife without marrying, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or that it will never work out. These days, it’s completely normal to take your time to marry. You don’t have to settle!
7. In 1956, Most Men Married at 22.5 & Most Women Married at 20.1
Since records of median marriage ages in the U.S. started in the 1890s, the age of marrying was at its youngest point in 1956, when the median American man married at age 22.5 and the median American woman married at 20.19.
This was the height of the McCarthy-era baby boom, where young people were encouraged to adhere to traditional gender roles and create nuclear families.
Many assume that marriage rates by age have linearly gone up over time, but this isn’t the case. Young people married later in the 1920s than they did in the 1950s. Culture doesn’t move in one direction; it changes in new and specific ways over time.
8. Just 30.3% of Women Born 1990-1994 Got Married by 25
For millennial women, marrying young was not a priority. It was a rarity. Census data shows that by age 25, only 30.3% of women born between 1990 and 1994 were married10.
Compared to 60 years prior, that’s a dramatic decrease in the number of women marrying in their early 20s.
Plenty of women are in relationships in their early 20s, many of which will lead to marriages. But instead of marrying as soon as they enter their first serious relationship, modern women are taking their time.
They may date for several years and often move in with their partners before taking that next step in their own time.
9. Only 3.2% of Women Who Married After 26 Got Remarried
Everyone walking up the aisle wants to believe their marriage is forever. Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. Divorce and remarriage are part of the relationship journey for many Americans.
For women looking to marry only once, though, waiting until after 26 to tie the knot has staying power. Only 3.2% of women who waited until at least age 26 to marry would end up in a second marriage11.
As I mentioned earlier, couples who wait to marry are generally less likely to divorce, so that’s working in these women’s favor.
And even if they are divorced, it’s often in midlife when marriage itself is less appealing. Many women in this position find it harder to imagine starting over with a new person.
10. Asian Americans Aged 25-34 Had the Highest First Marriage Rates
Marriage rates are not uniform across different racial groups and ethnicities in the U.S. Asian men and women aged 25-34 had the highest marriage rates out of any age group broken down by race12.
Statisticians found the rate was slightly higher for women: 119.8 marriages per 1,000 unmarried Asian women and 88.6 marriages per 1,000 unmarried Asian men.
Young Asians had the highest marriage rates in their age group, but older Asian Americans also outperformed their peers when it came to marriage. At every age, Asian singles are most likely to marry.
11. Black Men Under 35 Saw Only 38 Marriages Per 1,000 Single Men
On the other side of the spectrum, Black men and women have the lowest marriage rates of any racial group in the U.S.
They saw their highest marriage rates from ages 25-34, but it was a paltry number compared to other racial groups. Black men only had 38 marriages per 1,000 single men in this age group, while Black women had just 35.5 marriages per 1,000 single women13.
This may come down to a mixture of cultural norms and economic differences between ethnic groups. Black Americans also face unique challenges in the dating scene, including racism and mate scarcity, that can contribute to a lower marriage rate.
12. In 2025, Just 47% of U.S. Households Were Married Couples
When most people picture the classic American family, they imagine the nuclear family of a wife, husband, and two to three children.
That used to be the default, but not so anymore. Census data tells us that in 2025, just 47% of U.S. households included married couples. That’s down from 66% in 197514.
Families look different today. In 2025, single adulthood was a vibe, and a majority of Americans had family structures that didn’t revolve around marriage.
13. In 2015, 65% of U.S. College-Educated Adults Over 25 Were Married
Given that many young people are putting marriage on hold for their careers, you might assume those who pursue higher education would be less likely to marry. You’d be wrong.
When it comes to getting married, those with more education are far more likely to tie the knot. In 2015, 65% of adults over 25 with a college degree were married, compared to just 50% of adults over 25 with no college education15.
College graduates tend to have a great deal of stability in their lives. They’re also more likely to have the means to afford a wedding, whether it’s through generational wealth or their own savings.
Looking at the numbers, getting married seems to be a more important milestone for a majority of Americans with a college degree.
14. By 2050, Projections Say 1 in 3 of 45-Year-Olds Will Have Never Married
People are getting married later and later, and eventually, that might mean a larger portion of people never marry at all.
One study by the Institute for Family Studies found that by the year 2050, about a third of 45-year-olds are projected to never have married16.
That number may seem scary if you’re thinking about loneliness and family stability. But the rise of midlife marriages offers a glimmer of hope for those 30% of 40-somethings.
15. Among Adults 18-44, 59% Cohabitated Before Marriage
In the last few decades, cohabitation has gone from a taboo sin to a common milestone before marriage.
As of 2019, 59% of adults 18-44 had cohabitated, compared to just 50% who’d gotten married, according to Pew Research Center17.
Cohabitation has gone from a taboo sin to a common milestone.
While not all couples cohabitate prior to marriage, many do, meaning that many of the adults making up that 59% did so prior to marrying their partner.
As cohabitation increasingly becomes an accepted step toward marriage, more couples will use it as a litmus test to see if a marriage can actually work.
16. About 35% of Adults Aged 18-44 Marry After Cohabitating
Many couples cohabitate and then go on to have a successful marriage. Pew Research Center found that 35% of adults18 had both cohabited and married.
While some of those adults had likely cohabitated with someone who did not go on to become their spouse, many likely cohabitated and then went on to marry their partner. I, for one, will soon marry my fiancé after years of living together.
Cohabitation may change the timeline of marriages, but it certainly isn’t replacing marriage.
Take the Time You Need
So what are our big takeaways here? Americans are getting married older and less frequently.
Some singles might see these trends and panic. They might think that love is a thing of the past or that finding a lasting connection will never happen for them. But that’s far from the case.
Love and marriage are still very much on the table for American adults. There are just many options of what they can look like.
Data Sources:
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/relationships/a68001539/marriage-decline-in-young-people/ ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/hemez-distribution-age-first-marriage-fp-20-09.html ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/median-age-first-marriage-geographic-variation-2022-fp-24-08.html ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/hemez-distribution-age-first-marriage-fp-20-09.html ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/hemez-distribution-age-first-marriage-fp-20-09.html ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/hemez-distribution-age-first-marriage-fp-20-09.html ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9616076/ ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9616076/ ↩︎
- https://usafacts.org/articles/state-relationships-marriages-and-living-alone-us/ ↩︎
- https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/08/does-marrying-younger-mean-marrying-more-often.html ↩︎
- https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/08/does-marrying-younger-mean-marrying-more-often.html ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/FP-25-05.html ↩︎
- https://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles/FP-25-05.html ↩︎
- https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/families-and-living-arrangements.html ↩︎
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/09/14/as-u-s-marriage-rate-hovers-at-50-education-gap-in-marital-status-widens/ ↩︎
- https://ifstudies.org/blog/1-in-3-a-record-share-of-young-adults-will-never-marry ↩︎
- https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/11/06/the-landscape-of-marriage-and-cohabitation-in-the-u-s/ ↩︎
- https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/11/06/the-landscape-of-marriage-and-cohabitation-in-the-u-s/ ↩︎
