Living unmarried with a partner is becoming more common for young adults, according to recent estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
More couples between the ages of 18 and 24 are choosing to live together while putting off marriage longer or with the intention of not marrying.
The bureau noticed this shift in 2010, when the percentage of young adults living with a partner surpassed those living with a spouse, nationwide. In 2018, 9 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds live with a partner, compared to 7 percent who live with a spouse, widening the margin.
It’s significant change from the generation of their parents, who rarely lived together unmarried—only 0.1 percent.
The gap for couples between 25 and 34 is also narrowing. This year, the number of unmarried cohabitants increased to 15 percent, from 12 percent a decade ago. It is still much more common to be married if living together: The margin between the two groups is 25 points.
In a statement, Benjamin Gurrentz, a survey statistician in the fertility and family branch of the bureau, said income and education makes a difference. Communities that receive less education and tend to earn less experience lower marriage rates.
Adults who are better off financially tend to have higher marriage rates. There are more young married couples who make at least $40,000 a year than unmarried partners.
The significant increase in student debt, higher rates of unemployment and lack of financial security could point to why marriage is down and cohabitation is up.
Today, 30 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds are married, while 59 percent were married in 1978.
on Dec 3, 2018