Millennials Marry when Both Partners are Financially Secure

A U.S. Census Bureau paper states that millennials are taking economic factors into account when choosing mates. And feminists may rejoice with the finding that a woman’s earning power is as much of an attractive feature as a man’s when young people decide to get married.

“The report, whose full title is “Millennial Marriage: How Much Does Economic Security Matter To Marriage Rates For Young Adults?” says that only 26 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 32 were married in 2013. That rate had fallen from 36 percent of young adults in 1997 and 48 percent in 1980.”

In 2017 women averaged getting married around that age of 29, while in 1965 they were quicker to the alter, getting hitched at the young age of 21. Men’s marriage rates are similar, waiting in 2017 to the age of 27, while 52 years ago they were getting married when they turned 23.

Factors such as employment, living arrangements and costs, wages and poverty greatly impact marriage rates among young adults. A mere 9.8 percent of young adults in the study owned a home while 31.7 percent lived with their parents.

See Asia Martin, Millennials Marry when Both Partners are Financially Secure, Financial Advisor, July 23, 2018.

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.