by Jesse Smith (@jessesmithsoc)
In the white-picket-fence era of the 1950’s, the median age at marriage in the United States reached its lowest point on record—20 for women, 22 for men. This can be hard even for marriage-minded modern Americans to get their heads around. At a point in life where younger generations are just trying to get on their feet, their (great?) grandparents were already tying the knot.
Today, we’re in precisely the opposite situation, with marriage happening later in life than ever before. Men and women alike are waiting until around age 30 before getting hitched. This shift is due to a variety of factors. Most people say they want to be on a path to financial security before they get married, which increasingly requires a college degree. Then there’s the early years at the bottom of the professional ladder, possible moves that disrupt dating, and a general sense of young singlehood (what some call “emerging adulthood”) as a valuable life phase in its own right. For younger generations, this adds up to nearly an extra decade in between moving out and settling down.
