A study from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) indicates that young adults in the United States are marrying at different rates depending on their geographic location. The research suggests that early-marriage rates are lower in urban areas such as New York and Los Angeles, while regions in the heartland, including Tennessee, Indiana, and Utah, show higher marriage rates among individuals in their 20s. Wendy Wang, Director of Research at IFS, stated that singles may have better odds of finding a partner in middle America than in major coastal cities, where many singles reside.
The IFS’s research, part of its “Get Married Maps,” analyzes regional marriage trends and factors influencing marriage rates, such as employment, religion, and electoral outcomes. The study emphasizes that cities with higher marriage rates may offer a more fulfilling life compared to those known for entertainment but lacking in wedding ceremonies.
For adults aged 22-29, areas with the highest marriage rates include Provo, Utah, and regions in Tennessee, Indiana, Nebraska, Kentucky, Idaho, North Carolina, Kansas, and Georgia. Conversely, eight of the ten regions with the lowest early-marriage rates are found in the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas.
The research also highlights that while coastal cities have lower marriage rates for those in their 20s, this trend shifts for individuals in their 30s, with higher marriage rates observed in parts of New York, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Chicago, along with suburbs in Texas and Indiana.
Wang noted that living in areas with a high concentration of single young people does not necessarily improve the chances of finding a spouse. The IFS found that regions with a greater number of single men compared to single women tend to have higher marriage rates, particularly when considering the ratio of full-time employed single men to all single women.
Areas near military bases, such as Oceanside, California, and Fayetteville, North Carolina, as well as tech-centric locations like Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California, exhibit high ratios of employed single men. However, the correlation between male income and marriage rates varies by age, with women in their 30s seeing higher marriage rates in regions where single men earn at least $60,000 annually. This financial link is less significant for women in their 20s, indicating that younger couples may prioritize factors other than income when deciding to marry.
The study also found a positive correlation between regional marriage rates for young adults and areas that supported Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, although this relationship reverses for adults in their 30s. The researchers caution that their findings illustrate broad regional patterns rather than establishing causation between location or political climate and marriage rates. They also note that the study reflects where respondents currently reside, not necessarily where they met their spouses or lived at the time of marriage.