Top 7 Cities for Single Women (and Men)

Marriage in the U.S. has long been on the decline. Today, fewer than 50 percent of American adults are married, while approximately 10 percent of Americans are divorced and 2 percent are separated according to data published on FindTheData. Over the past two decades (between 1990 and 2009), the rate of marriage has dropped 15 percent.

While the rate of marriage is on the decline, the rate of divorce has somewhat stabilized across the U.S. -- with 9.6 percent of men and 12.1 percent of women over the age of 15 divorced.

Population segments with the highest percent currently married
1. Males 55-64 (72.4 percent married)
2. Males 65+ (71.4 percent married)
3. Males 45-54 (66.8 percent married)
4. Females 35-44 (64.3 percent married)
5. Females 45-54 (64.1 percent married)

U.S. Marital Status

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Population segments with the highest percent divorced
1. Females 55-64 (19.2 percent divorced)
2. Females 45-54 (18.4 percent divorced)
3. Males 45-54 (15.6 percent divorced)
4. Males 55-64 (15.2 percent divorced)
5. Females 35-44 (14.2 percent divorced)

U.S. Marital Status

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The age in which people are getting married is also increasing. For men, the median age of first time marriage in 2009 was 28.4, compared to 25.5 in 1988 and 22.5 in 1970. For women, the corresponding numbers are 26.5 in 2009, 23.7 in 1988 and 20.6 in 1970.

While these trends are true nationally, the figures vary from state-to-state. The top three states with the highest rates of marriage are Nevada, Hawaii and Arkansas, according to the Center for Disease Control's most recent data. The states with the lowest rate of marriage (and high rates of single men and women) are Mississippi, New Jersey and Delaware.

Major cities (1+ million population) with the lowest percentage of married men
1. Philadelphia, PA (33.8 percent adult males married)
2. Chicago, IL (38.2 percent adult males married)
3. Los Angeles, CA (41.8 percent adult males married)
4. Dallas, TX (42.9 percent adult males married)
5. New York, NY (43.7 percent adult males married)
6. San Diego, CA (44.4 percent adult males married)
7. Houston, TX (45.2 percent adult males married)

States with the lowest percentage of married men:
1. District of Columbia (28.2 percent adult males married)
2. Rhode Island (45.2 percent adult males married)
3. Louisiana (47.2 percent adult males married)
4. New York (47.6 percent adult males married)
5. Nevada (47.6 percent adult males married)
6. California (48.2 percent adult males married)
7. Mississippi (48.3 percent adult males married)

Major cities (1+ million population) with the lowest percentage of married women:
1. Philadelphia, PA (27.9 percent adult women married)
2. Chicago, IL (33.8 percent adult women married)
3. New York, NY (36.6 percent adult women married)
4. Los Angeles, CA (38.9 percent adult women married)
5. Dallas, TX (39.7 percent adult women married)
6. Houston, TX (41.8 percent adult women married)
7. San Antonio, TX (43.2 percent adult women married)

States with the lowest percentage of married women:
1. District of Columbia (22.8 percent adult women married)
2. Rhode Island (41.8 percent adult women married)
3. Louisiana (42.6 percent adult women married)
4. New York (42.8 percent adult women married)
5. Mississippi (43.8 percent adult women married)
6. Massachusetts (44.1 percent adult women married)
7. New Mexico (45 percent adult women married)

 

Follow Grace Nasri on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@GraceNasri

Comments

[FTracy3]

01:26 PM on 05/17/2012

Let's ask Beyonce.

[Mantis Vyden]

01:59 PM on 05/15/2012

The big cities shown above have expansive entitlement programs that reward singles seeking welfare benefits, so why would people bother getting married? For instance, in Los Angeles where I live, which has a high cost of living, it's far easier for a single mother to qualify for public assistance than if she were a married mother. It's the hard-luck story that sells.

[lucyfurr]

11:52 AM on 05/15/2012

Surprising #1 and #2. Philly is a huge College City and most of the adults are proabably under 28. I'd assume that may be the case for Chicago too?

Also the article says "The states with the lowest rate of marriage (and high rates of single men and women) are Mississippi, New Jersey and Delaware." Yet NONE one of these 3 states made the State list for men or women. What's up?

[Tommy L]

08:23 PM on 05/14/2012

Interesting how the states w least married are similar between men and women.
First I was thinking well CA and DC have high concentration of homosexuals, does that skew the fact that the 'men' are not married? (of course we could tell this if Obama makes a stronger stance on gay rights).
I next switched to what was more obvious, the states with low marriage rates are all states with big cities, CA, 'DC', NY. I wonder what the reason is for the middle states, Texas was surprising, though it fits with a large/profitable state, I would have thought the standards/priorities were a bit different there than CA, NY, and DC, where jobs are top priority.
Interesting article, now when is the psychoanalysis of the why these states have low marriage rates coming out?

[CAMBEL]

12:47 PM on 05/15/2012

Mississippi doesn't have huge cities and yet was on both lists for lowest percentage married men and women.

[Whyalwaysme]

05:30 PM on 05/14/2012

I spent 10yrs with a woman had the kids, ended up a single parent, and I do mean a single parent, the mother moved on and had another family so the kids didn't see much of her, maybe s few days on holidays, I've been single for the last 12yrs and it still feels fantastic, peace and quiet, no arguments, no putting up with nagging about nothing, I tend to cool it with girlfriends when they talk about moving in because to be honest with you all, I dont think I want to live with anyone ever again, I'm happy still so why change it, you only live once and why change something that dont need fixing, we only have one life and if your happy being single then enjoy being single. some people need to have a partner, and tend to find a new one first before breaking up, they must be messed up but it's their need for someone where as others like me dont need it.

[Cowgirldiane]

10:37 PM on 05/14/2012

There's a key on your keyboard - it's called a period. Use it.

[trailerguy]

11:31 AM on 05/15/2012

Amen. I was single for long time. Granted it was lonely at times, but less yelling

[BriS]

04:38 PM on 05/14/2012

I think the figures are a little misleading. Just because one is "unmarried" doesn't mean they are "single", as the statistics and article imply. As the article states in the first sentence, marriage is on the decline. You can be "unmarried" and not "single".

Maybe it's time to revamp the way we track someone's relationship status.

[CF09]

10:53 AM on 05/15/2012

You're absolutely right. Unmarried doesn't mean "not in a relationship" or "not cohabiting." I live in DC, and trust me, most people fall into one of those categories.

[sweetpatriot]

11:28 PM on 05/15/2012

I love DC.That city is full of cute educated men.