Random Samplings

How Long Do Marriages Last?

Written by: Diana Elliott, US Census Bureau

Many Americans stay married and have long marriages. Did you know that the median duration of American women's first marriages in 2009 was 20.8 years? Even when American women remarry, the median duration of their second marriages in 2009 was 14.5 years.

A new Census Bureau report titled Marital Events of Americans: 2009 examines marriage, divorce and widowhood in America. This report is the first of its kind to describe the detailed characteristics of Americans’ marital events using the American Community Survey. Because of the large sample size and geographic coverage of this survey, this report looks at comparisons of marital events among small groups and across the 50 states.

Women in the mid and southern parts of the U.S. were among those with the longest first marriages in 2009. Twenty-seven states had median durations of marriages significantly longer than the U.S. median of 20.8 years. Women in both eastern and western states were among those with shorter first marriages in 2009. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia had median durations of first marriages significantly shorter than the U.S. median.

Thirteen states had longer second marriages in 2009 than the U.S. median of 14.5 years. Seven of the states with significantly longer marriages were in the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas). Twelve states and the District of Columbia had shorter second marriages than the U.S. median in 2009.

Why do women in some states have longer first and second marriages than other states? As discussed in this new report, marriages tend to happen at younger ages in states with longer marriages. If couples marry when they are younger and stay married, they will celebrate more anniversaries together.

If you are interested in such facts and figures about marriage in America, the Marital Events of Americans: 2009 report has much more to offer. Academics, students, the media, and the interested public will discover how the demographics about marriage, divorce and widowhood in this report provide considerable insight into family life in America today.

Read the press release.

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How Many Trips Do We Take Down the Aisle?

Written by: Rose Kreider, Family Demographer, US Census Bureau Fertility & Family Statistics Branch

Most of us take only one trip down the aisle. Among all currently married couples in 2009, 72 percent were made up of a man and woman who were each in their first marriage. Looking only at recently married couples, which gives us an idea of current patterns, 65 percent of couples who married during 2008 were in their first marriage.

At the other end of the spectrum, a small percentage, just 1 percent, of currently married couples consisted of a husband and wife who had both been married three or more times. Another 6 percent of currently married couples included one spouse who was in at least their third marriage. Between these extremes, 22 percent of currently married couples included at least one spouse who was in their second marriage.

Couples who got married during 2008 looked similar, with 25 percent including at least one spouse who was in their second marriage and a slightly higher 9 percent including one spouse in their third or higher order marriage.

More detail about how many times adults have married and other information on the marital history of Americans is available in a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau titled Number, Timing and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009.

Read the press release.

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