At a glance
These figures give context to the people and households behind the ceremonies we mark. Each number links directly to its original Census Bureau source and includes the year the data describes.
47%
of U.S. households were married-couple households in 2025.
37%
of married-couple households included their own children under age 18 in 2025.
39.7 million
one-person households existed in the United States in 2025, representing 29% of all households.
30.8 / 28.4
was the estimated median age at first marriage in 2025 for men and women, respectively.
58% / 16%
of adults ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34, respectively, lived in their parental home in 2025.
1.4 million
same-sex couple households were estimated in the United States in 2024, about 1% of all households.
836,000
married same-sex couple households were estimated in the United States in 2024.
2,128,446
provisional marriages were recorded in the United States in 2024, a rate of 6.3 per 1,000 people.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 provisional data, updated October 5, 2026
59%
of opposite-sex couples living together had the same level of education in 2025.
52%
of opposite-sex couples living together had a man earning at least $5,000 more annually than his partner in 2025.
Sources and methodology
This fact sheet uses published U.S. Census Bureau releases. Figures are shown exactly as reported by the source, including the stated data year. Household figures and first-marriage ages come from the Census Bureau's 2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Same-sex couple figures come from the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey estimates. The 2024 marriage total is provisional National Vital Statistics System data. The 2025 opposite-sex couple figures come from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
- U.S. Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements, released December 2, 2025
- U.S. Census Bureau, More Female Than Male Same-Sex Couple Households in the United States in 2024, released April 1, 2026
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Provisional Number of Marriages and Marriage Rate: United States, 2000-2024, updated October 5, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau, Characteristics of Opposite-Sex Couples Who Lived Together in 2025, released April 27, 2026
Cite this page
The Mystic Owl, “U.S. Marriage and Couples Statistics: 2026 Fact Sheet,” updated November 9, 2026. The Mystic Owl wedding statistics reference.