Cohabitation Statistics 2026

of couples live together before marriage

About three-quarters of couples who get married today have lived together beforehand, a dramatic increase from 50 years ago when it was taboo.

of adults aged 18-44 are currently cohabiting

Nearly a third of young adults are currently living with a romantic partner they are not married to.

unmarried-partner households in the US

There are approximately 8.5 million households in the United States with unmarried couples living together.

increase in cohabitation since 1970

The number of cohabiting couples has increased 17-fold since 1970, from about 500,000 to over 8 million.

of cohabiting couples get married within 5 years

A little over half of couples who start living together eventually marry within five years of starting cohabitation.

of cohabiting couples break up within 5 years

About a quarter of couples who move in together will break up before marriage within the first five years.

divorce rates for couples who cohabited vs. didn't

Recent research shows that couples who live together before marriage now have similar divorce rates to those who don't, especially when cohabitation begins after engagement.

higher divorce risk for serial cohabiters

People who have lived with multiple partners before marriage face a 40% higher risk of divorce than those who only lived with their eventual spouse.

average time from moving in together to engagement

Couples typically live together for about 2.2 years before getting engaged, though this varies widely.

average time dating before moving in together

The median time couples date before moving in together is about 5 months, though this has been decreasing in recent years.

average age of first cohabitation

The average age when people first move in with a romantic partner is 25 years old.

say they moved in to "test the relationship"

Two-thirds of cohabiting couples cite testing compatibility as a major reason for moving in together.

cite financial reasons as a major factor

Over a third of couples moved in together primarily for financial benefits like splitting rent and bills.

moved in out of "convenience"

About a quarter of couples report that moving in together happened due to convenience, such as a lease ending or spending most nights together anyway.

of cohabiting couples report high relationship satisfaction

The majority of couples who live together report being satisfied or very satisfied with their relationship.

more frequent intimacy for cohabiting vs. dating couples

Couples who live together report about 15% more frequent physical intimacy compared to dating couples who live separately.

more daily communication for cohabiting couples

Cohabiting couples have significantly more daily face-to-face communication than dating couples who live apart.