Age Variation in Prevalence of Cohabitation Among Unmarried Men and Women, 2009 & 2024

Family Profile No. 4, 2025
Author: Christopher A. Julian

Over recent decades, the prevalence of cohabitation among U.S. adults has grown rapidly (Smock, 2000; Smock & Schwartz, 2020). Estimates from the Current Population Survey (CPS) show that in 2009, approximately 14.0 million adults aged 15 or older cohabited, which increased to 20.3 million by 2024. Although both younger and older adults cohabit, it is far more common among younger adults (Julian, 2023). Still, in the past few decades, cohabitation has risen among older adults, too (Brown & Wright, 2017).

This Family Profile uses data from the Current Population Survey (IPUMS; Flood et al., 2024) to explore age variation in the prevalence of cohabitation among unmarried older adults separately for men and women, comparing estimates from 2009 and 2024. Previous Family Profiles on this topic have examined the prevalence of cohabitation among unmarried household heads for younger (Julian, 2022a) and older adults (Julian, 2022b) using the American Community Survey. By leveraging the CPS cohabitation pointers (Kennedy & Fitch, 2012), we identified respondents' relationship statuses, including cohabitation, at the individual level, regardless of household head status.

Men

• The percentage of unmarried men aged 15 and older who were currently cohabiting in the U.S. modestly increased from 8% in 2009 to 10% in 2024.
• In both 2009 and 2024, levels of cohabitation peaked among unmarried men aged 25-44, after which cohabitation declined with age. Men aged 15-24 exhibited the lowest level of cohabitation.
• Most age groups slightly increased their prevalence of cohabitation between 2009 and 2024, but men aged 15-24 remained unchanged.
• The largest percentage change between 2009 and 2024 was for those aged 65 and older, a percentage increase over 40%.

Figure 1. Prevalence of Cohabitation Among Unmarried Men, 2009 & 2024

Women

• The percentage of unmarried women aged 15 and older who were currently cohabiting in the U.S. ticked upward from 7% in 2009 to 10% in 2024.
• Similar to men, in both 2009 and 2024, cohabitation levels were highest among unmarried women aged 25-44, declining thereafter with age. For women, the share cohabiting among those aged 15-24 and 65+ were nearly on par.
• Most age groups modestly increased in their prevalence of cohabitation between 2009 and 2024. However, as with men, those aged 15-24 did not.
• Like for men, the largest percentage change between 2009 and 2024 was among those aged 65 and older, for which the share doubled.

Figure 2. Prevalence of Cohabitation Among Unmarried Women, 2009 & 2024

Data Source:
Flood, S., King, M., Rodgers, R., Ruggles, S., Warren, J. R., Warren, D., Backman, D., Chen, A., Cooper, G., Richards, S., Schouweiler, M., & Westberry, M. (2024). IPUMS CPS: Version 12.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. https://doi.org/10.18128/D030.V12.0

References:
Brown, S. L., & Wright, M. R. (2017). Marriage, cohabitation, and divorce in later life. Innovation in Aging, 1(2), igx015-igx015. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx015.

Julian, C. A. (2022a). Cohabitation among young adults, 2022. Family Profiles, FP-22-29. National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-22-29

Julian, C. A. (2022b). Prevalence of cohabitation among unmarried older adults. Family Profiles, FP-22-10. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-22-10.

Julian, C. A. (2023). A decade of change in shares of single, cohabiting, and married individuals, 2012-2022. Family Profiles, FP-23-07. National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-23-07.

Kennedy, S., & Fitch, C. A. (2012). Measuring cohabitation and family structure in the United States: Assessing the impact of new data from the Current Population Survey. Demography, 49(4), 1479-1498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-012-0126-8.

Smock, P. J. (2000). Cohabitation in the United States: An appraisal of research themes, findings, and implications. Annual Review of Sociology, 26(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.26.1.1.

Smock, P. J., & Schwartz, C. R. (2020). The demography of families: A review of patterns and change. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 9-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12612.

Suggested Citation:Julian, C. (2025). Age variation in prevalence of cohabitation among unmarried men and women, 2009 & 2024. Family Profiles, FP-25-04. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-25-04

This project is supported with assistance from Bowling Green State University. From 2007 to 2013, support was also provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the state or federal government.