Marriage Statistics
Research findings about marriage, with linked sources and study limits. Historical figures describe their stated populations, not your relationship's future.
Key Findings
2,128,446
CDC/NCHS reports 2,128,446 marriages in the United States in 2024. Counts and rates describe that year, not a forecast.
6.3 per 1,000
CDC/NCHS reports 6.3 marriages per 1,000 total US population in 2024. This rate uses all residents, not only unmarried adults.
Median first-marriage age: men 30.2, women 28.4 years
The US Census Bureau's 2023 CPS estimates give median age at first marriage as 30.2 for men and 28.4 for women. These are medians for that year, not averages or a recommended marriage age.
28.6 years median
The US Census Bureau's 2024 CPS estimates give a median first-marriage age of 28.6 for women. The comparable 2023 figure was 28.4.
Data Visualization
Interactive research-backed charts
US median age at first marriage, 2024
Source: US Census Bureau, 2024 CPS
| Men | 30.2 |
|---|---|
| Women | 28.6 |
US marriages per 1,000 residents
Source: CDC/NCHS, selected years 2000 to 2024
| 2000 | 8.2 |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.8 |
| 2020 | 5.1 |
| 2024 | 6.3 |
Marriage Rates and Trends
2,128,446
CDC/NCHS reports 2,128,446 marriages in the United States in 2024. Counts and rates describe that year, not a forecast.
www.cdc.gov
6.3 per 1,000
CDC/NCHS reports 6.3 marriages per 1,000 total US population in 2024. This rate uses all residents, not only unmarried adults.
www.cdc.gov
Age and Timing of Marriage
Median first-marriage age: men 30.2, women 28.4 years
The US Census Bureau's 2023 CPS estimates give median age at first marriage as 30.2 for men and 28.4 for women. These are medians for that year, not averages or a recommended marriage age.
www.census.gov
28.6 years median
The US Census Bureau's 2024 CPS estimates give a median first-marriage age of 28.6 for women. The comparable 2023 figure was 28.4.
www.census.gov
Marriage Satisfaction & Success
8 years conditional median
A 2011 Census report found an eight-year median for first marriages that had ended in divorce, using 2009 histories of US civilian noninstitutionalized people aged 15 and over. This conditional measure cannot establish overall lifetime marriage length.
www2.census.gov
About 70%
A 2012 research review concluded that couple therapy positively impacts approximately 70% of those receiving treatment. This is not a guaranteed success rate for an individual marriage.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
How Married Couples Met
39%
Rosenfeld and colleagues' 2019 paper reports that 39% of heterosexual US couples who met in 2017 met online. This is a meeting-year cohort, not the proportion of all married couples or all current couples.
www.pnas.org
Marriage & Finances
$30,000 historical mean
The Knot's survey of nearly 12,000 respondents married in 2022 reported mean ceremony and reception spending of $30,000. This historical vendor-platform sample does not establish a current universal wedding cost.
www.theknot.com
49.7%
BLS CPS annual averages show both spouses employed in 49.7% of US married-couple families in 2023. Employment is not the same measure as every source of household income.
www.bls.gov
Download Data
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do these findings predict my relationship?
No. Survey figures describe their stated populations and periods. An association does not establish cause or an outcome for an individual couple.
How can I check a finding?
Follow the source link and check the population, measure, data period and study design. Company claims and practice recommendations are labeled separately from measured research findings.
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