Married & Living Apart Together

Family Profile No. 15, 2020
Authors: Krista K. Payne, Colette A. Allred, & Susan L. Brown

Living apart together (LAT) relationships are an emerging relationship form typically defined as unmarried couples in a committed, long-term relationship who choose to live apart (maintain separate residences) rather than cohabit or marry (Connidis, et al., 2017). Other researchers have classified married couples who live separately as LATs, as well (Binstock & Thornton, 2004). This profile examines the LAT status of newly married individuals who report having entered a marriage in the last year. We define newlywed LATs as those not living with their spouse for reasons other than marital discord1. Using data from IPUMS-USA, we present their characteristics by times married, age, and educational attainment.

Newlyweds in LAT Relationships, 1980-2018

• The share of newlyweds in a LAT relationship more than doubled between 1980 and 2018.
• In 1980, 6% of newlyweds were in a LAT relationship, whereas 13% of newlyweds were in a LAT relationship in 2018.
  

Figure 1. Share of Newlyweds in a LAT Relationship, 1980-2018

Newlyweds in LAT Relationships by Times Married

The share of newlyweds who were in LAT relationships varied little based on the number of times married.

• Among newlyweds in their first marriage, about 14% were in a LAT relationship.
• For newlyweds in their second marriage, about 11% were in a LAT relationship compared to about 9% among newlyweds in at least their third marriage.

Figure 2. Share of Newlyweds in a LAT Relationship by Times Married, 2018

Newlyweds in LAT Relationships by Age

The share of newlyweds in a LAT relationship differed markedly by age, with those aged 15-24 far outpacing adults of older ages.

• Over one in four (26.5%) of newlyweds aged 15-24 were in a LAT relationship.
• At less than 10%, the smallest share of newlyweds in a LAT relationship was observed among those aged 35-44 (9.9%).
  • The percentage in a LAT relationship increases with age beginning with those aged 45 and older.

Figure 3. Share of Newlyweds in a LAT Relationship by Age Group, 2018

Newlyweds in LAT Relationships by Educational Attainment

The share of newlyweds in LAT relationships decreased as educational attainment increased.

• Nearly one quarter of newlyweds with less than a high school education were in a LAT relationship (23.4%). This was the largest share observed across educational attainment categories.
• The smallest share of newlyweds in LAT relationships occurred among those with at least a Bachelor’s degree (9.0%).

Figure 4. Share of Newlyweds in a LAT Relationship by Educational Attainment, 2018

Footnote

1. Those who report marrying in the past year and also report being currently “separated” are not included in the analyses.

Data Source

• Ruggles, S., Flood, S., Goeken, R., Grover, J., Meyer, E., Pacas, J., & Sobek, M. (2019). IPUMS USA: Version 9.0. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V9.0

References

• Connidis, I. A., Borell, K., & Karlsson, S. G. (2017). Ambivalence and living apart together in later life: A critical research proposal. Journal of Marriage and Family, 79, 1404-1418.
• Binstock, G., & Thornton, A. (2004). Separations, reconciliations, and living apart in cohabiting and marital unions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 432-443.

Suggested Citation

• Payne, K. K., Allred, C. A., & Brown, S. L. (2020). Married and living apart together. Family Profiles, FP-20-15. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-20-15