Census Bureau Study Finds U.S. Couples Marry Later Than Before

 

WASHINGTON - In the Northeast United States couples are tying the knot at a later age than people in other parts of the country.

 

A Census Bureau study, using data from the American Community Survey from 2000 to 2003, has uncovered many differences in marriage habits of people in different regions of the country. Americans in Middle America tend to marry earlier than those on the East and West coasts.

"Later marriage is very strongly associated with higher levels of education," said David Popenoe, co-director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

In the last decade the median age for marriage has increased by one year to 26.7 years for men and 25.1 for women.

In Utah, couples wed at the earliest age - 21.9 years for women and 23.9 for men. Washington, D.C. has the latest age for marriage with an average of around 30 years.