American Couples Get ‘More Selective’
Delaying Marriage
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
Wedding band shoppers in Omaha, Neb.
Wedding band shoppers in Omaha, Neb. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
U.S. couples living together and getting choosier about their prospective spouses is leading more people to delay marriage.
Almost 47 percent of women from 25 to 29 had never been married in 2009, almost double the 26 percent reported in 1986, according to a Census Bureau report released today.
Based on a survey taken since 1986, the increase in the age of couples at their first marriage is “one of the most noticeable changes in marital patterns,” according to the report.
“As marriage rates have decreased and cohabitation has become more common, marriage has become more selective of adults who are better off socioeconomically and have more education,” the report said.
The youngest brides were most likely to be Hispanic, with only 36.8 percent from 25 to 29 reporting that they’d never been married. On the other end of the scale, 70.5 percent of black women from 25 to 29 hadn’t been married.
Wedding consultants also have noticed that the father of the bride isn’t as generous as he used to be, and daughters are taking note.
“Getting married is a cost,” said Dena Davey, director of marketing for the Association of Bridal Consultants. “The bride’s father used to pay that cost, but now we’re seeing it split among families, or the couples are paying it themselves.”
Living Together
The New Milford, Connecticut-based group’s 4,000 wedding planners are seeing fewer brides in their late 20s, Davey said in a telephone interview. Couples are waiting longer to get married because they’re living together first, she said, and often must save money to pay for their wedding.
About 27 percent of women from 30 to 34 reported never having been married in 2009, almost doubling the 14 percent who hadn’t been married in 1986. The percentage of women older than 55 who had never married rose to 5.8 from 4.8 percent in that period.
The median age at first marriage in 1950 was 23 for men and 20 for women. It’s now 28 for men and 26 for women, the Census Bureau said.
The report showed marriages appear to be lasting longer, with 55 percent of married couples together for 15 years or longer. More than a third of those have reached their 25th anniversary, and 6 percent have been married 50 years or more.
Seven-Year Itch
The length of time for marriages to unravel appears to have stayed constant, around the classic seven-year itch. Couples who divorce in their first marriage separate after a median period of seven years, the Census Bureau said. The median time to the official end of the marriage is eight years.
“I think it’s getting better,” said Lisa Beth Older, a New York divorce lawyer. “For a garden-variety divorce, a year is not really out of the question. But it’s still a slow-moving process.”
Almost three of four couples are still in their first marriage, the Census Bureau reported. Eight percent of married couples consist of people in their second marriage, and 1 percent of married couples include a husband and wife who each have been married three or more times.
To contact the reporter on this story: Frank Bass in Washington at fbass1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net
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