For Immediate Release
June 29, 2001

A new report from the Census shows that during the last 30 years, people have been getting married later, and more are living alone or with an unmarried partner.* According to the report, in 2000 31% of adult men and 25% of adult women have never married.*

"Marriage used to be the meat and potatoes of life -- it was on every dinner table," said Dorian Solot, Executive Director of the Alternatives to Marriage Project (ATMP), a national group for unmarried people. "Today, life is more of a buffet: you can still get meat and potatoes if you want, but you can choose when and if to serve yourself based on what's best for you."

Marshall Miller, ATMP's co-founder, adds, "People today are pursuing their dreams. Some dream of making the trip down the aisle today, some tomorrow, and others not at all."

Miller observes that a later age at marriage may be good news for families, since a large body of research shows that couples marrying younger have higher divorce rates. "People today believe that a great relationship is more important than a quick marriage," he says. They're unwilling to rush into marriage just because someone says that's what you're supposed to do."

Solot says the report is particularly good news for women. "Women are increasingly able to define their life on their own terms. Today's young women have never even heard the old joke about graduating from college with an 'MRS' degree. Finding a partner is one important part of women's lives today, but it's not goal number one on every woman's to-do list."

Solot points out that based on the Census' historical data, Americans' age at first marriage has increased, but not as much as many people believe. In 1890, the average man got married at 26.1, compared to 26.8 today. This age dropped during the first half of this century and has been gradually returning to previous levels since the 1970s. For women, the average age at first marriage followed a similar trend, though today's median age of 25.0 is three years older than the 1890 median.

* For demographic purpose, the Census considers anyone over age 15 an adult.

The Alternatives to Marriage Project can often help journalists find unmarried in their area who are willing to be interviewed.