The rates of Marriage and divorce in the U.S. have been gradually changing over time as people adapt to more modern ways of living. But how do factors like location and age relate to marriage and divorce? And just how many marriages end in divorce these days?

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Statista, and Forbes between 1920 and 2022, this study on behalf of Spokeo has compiled some of the most interesting marriage and divorce statistics using the latest data and reports to see how the world is changing when it comes to relationships.

Key statistics

• In the U.S., the average age at which men marry for the first time is 30.9 years, while it’s 28.8 for women. The average age has increased over time from 26.7 for men and 25 for women in 1998.
• People in Utah get married the youngest, with women marrying at 23.5 years old, and men marrying at 25.6 years old on average. This is likely due to Utah having the largest Mormon population in the U.S.
• It is estimated that 1.2% of the 61.3 million households with married couples in the U.S. are made up of same-sex couples.
• The percentage of married people has decreased with every generation, with 44% of Millennials aged 23 to 38 being married, compared to 81% for the Silent Generation.
• Divorce rates have been declining since 2000 when the rate was 4, and it is predicted they will reach a low of 2.2 by 2027.
• Over a third of marriages (34.7%) end in divorce; this is a 14.9% decrease from the 40.8% of marriages that ended in divorce in 2000.
• Arkansas and West Virginia are the states with the highest percentage of divorced people at 13.3% in both.

Marriage statistics in the U.S.

According to the most recent figures, the Marriage Rate in the U.S. is 6 marriages per 1,000 people, with a total of 1,985,072 weddings taking place in 2021. This was an increase from the rate of 5.1 marriages per 1,000, and 1,676,911 marriages in total in 2020. This increase from 2020 to 2021 can most likely be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the cancellation of many wedding ceremonies in 2020. 

In New York and California, the current marriage rate is 5.2, which falls fairly low on the state ranking. These states are also among those when people get Married the latest in life, with the average age of first marriage in New York being 29.6, and 28.4 in California.

Although the marriage rate and the number of marriages increased in 2021, these figures were both still 2% lower than in 2019. In fact, marriage rates have declined every year since 2016.

Marriage rates by state

Vegas weddings likely push Nevada to the top spot.

The latest data from the U.S. Census shows that the state with the highest marriage rate is Nevada, with 26.2 marriages per 1,000 people over the age of 15. This is likely due to the number of people who get married in Las Vegas, known as ‘the marriage capital of the world’, where around 120,000 marriages take place each year.

After Nevada, Hawaii has the highest marriage rate at 12.8, followed by Montana at 11, and Utah at 9.1. Interestingly, Utah is the state with the highest population of Mormon adherents, with 66% of the population identifying as Mormons. This likely contributes to the higher marriage rate in this state.

The state with the lowest marriage rate is Louisiana, at 4.4, followed by Massachusetts (4.6), and Illinois (4.7).

California and New York both land at 39th on the list, with a marriage rate of 5.2.

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Total number of marriages by state

In total, almost 2 million marriages took place in the U.S. in 2021.

The state with the highest number of marriages was California, where 203,443 marriages took place. This is unsurprising as California has the highest population of all of the states, at 39.24 million.

Although California has the most marriages, its marriage rate is on the lower side at 5.2 per 1,000 people.

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 *Washington D.C. is included

How many people are currently married?

Just under half of people in the U.S. are currently married.

The most recent Census data shows that 48.5% of people in the U.S. are married. Using 2023’s population figures, this would amount to approximately 160.9 million people.

Men over 65 are the most likely to be married, with 68.5% of people in this group being currently married. For women, those aged between 45 and 54 are most likely to be married, at 63.1%.

When comparing by race, Asian people have the highest percentage of married people at 57%, while Black people have the lowest at 30.6%.

The states with the most married people

Utah has the most married people, while Washington DC has the fewest.

The state with the most married people is Utah, where 55.3% of people over 15 are currently married. This is followed by Idaho at 54.8%, and Wyoming at 53.8%.

Washington DC has the fewest married people at just 30.2%, followed by Louisiana at 43.5%, and New York at 44.4%.

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*Washington, D.C. is included.

Marital status of the U.S. population

The rates of divorce and widowhood are higher among women than men.

As of 2022, 51.7% of men and 49.9% of women are married. A higher percentage of women are divorced and widowed compared to men. 8.4% of women are widowed, compared to 2.8% of men, and 10.7% of women are divorced, compared to 8.4% of men.

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Change in marriage rates over time

The U.S. marriage rate has declined by 50% in 101 years.

Marriage rates have fluctuated over time between 1920 and 2021, and during this period, the marriage rate across the U.S. has declined by 50% from 12 to 6.

Prior to the 2000s, the lowest marriage rate was in 1932 during the Great Depression. One study found that the low marriage rate during this era was likely down to poor job opportunities for men. However, marriages tended to be delayed rather than denied, and began picking up after this period. In 1946, after the end of the Second World War, the marriage rate reached an all-time high of 16.4. This is still higher than any marriage rate recorded since.

Overall, marriage rates have been on a steady decline since the 1980s, from 10.6 in 1980 to 6.9 in 2015. Since 2016, marriage rates have fallen every year, from 7 in 2016 to 6.1 in 2019, and then 5.1 in 2020. The steep drop seen in 2020 was due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused thousands of weddings to be cancelled or postponed. Marriage rates rose to 6 in 2021 as weddings recovered from the pandemic, but this was still lower than 2019’s figure.

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Men get married older than women on average

As of 2023, the average age at which men get married for the first time is 30.9 years, while it’s 28.8 for women.

This figure has been rising steadily over time from 26.7 for men and 25 for women in 1998.

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The average age someone gets married varies by state

The age of first marriage varies from a high of 30.2 in Washington DC to a low of 24.6 in Utah.

People in Washington DC get married the oldest on average at 30.6 for men and 29.8 for women. This is followed by people in New York, where the average age of marriage for men is 30.3, and for women is 28.8.

The state where people get married the youngest is Utah, where women marry at 23.5, and men marry at 25.6 on average. As we mentioned earlier, Utah has the highest population of Mormons in the U.S. which likely contributes to this lower average age of marriage.

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Marriage rates vary by generation

The percentage of married people has decreased with every generation.

Studies show that when the Greatest Generation were aged between 23 and 38 (roughly between the 1940s and 1960s), 81% of them were married. This figure has reduced with each generation, with 61% of Baby Boomers being married at this age, and 53% of Gen X.

For Millennials, this figure has almost halved compared to the Silent Generation, with only 44% of Millennials being married between the ages of 23 and 38.

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The average cost of a wedding by state

In the U.S., the average cost of a wedding is $28,146 but this figure varies by state.

New Jersey has the most expensive weddings, at a typical cost of $51,000 for a ceremony and reception. This is followed by Massachusetts and New York, both at $46,000.

Utah, Oklahoma, and Kansas have the lowest-cost weddings at an average of $16,000, while Wyoming, New Mexico, and Montana come in second at $18,000.