Recent Marriages to Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: Marital History and Age at Marriage, 2022

This Family Profile is an update of:
FP-21-19

Family Profile No. 27, 2023
Authors: Krista K. Westrick-Payne & Wendy D. Manning

More than eight years ago, the US Supreme Court ruled that marriages to same-sex couples were legal in all states, prompting the US Census Bureau to revise their household rosters to directly count same-sex and different-sex married and cohabiting couples. Using data from the ACS 1-year PUMS files from 2022, we present the most recent American Community Survey (ACS) estimates of individuals entering into a same-sex marriage, updating our previous profile which used data from 2019 (Payne & Manning, 2021). We compare same-sex newlyweds to different-sex newlyweds based on their marital history, average age at most recent marriage, and couple’s age gap (including 95% confidence intervals).  First marriage refers to a first marriage for both members of the couple and remarriage refers to a remarriage for at least one member of the couple. Analyses are limited to householders and spouses of householders. Note, while the terms “sex” and “gender” are not interchangeable, because the ACS survey questionnaire uses the term “sex,” we have opted to do so as well.

Marriages in the Last Year

• According to the ACS, there were more than 73,000 marriages to same-sex couples and over 1.8 million marriages to different-sex couples in 2022—both increases over the number reported in 2021.
• Since 2019 about 4% (range 3.6% - 3.9%) of all marriages were among same-sex couples.
• Marriages to same-sex couples in the last year slightly favored women (55%) compared to men (45%).

Figure 1. Composition of Recently Married Same-Sex Couples, 2022

Marriages in the Last Year for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: First Marriages and Remarriages

• The majority of recent marriages were first marriages for both members of the couple regardless of gender composition of the couple.
• One-third of recent marriages to different-sex couples were remarriages. Similar shares of women entering into a marriage with a same-sex partner were entering a remarriage (34%). In contrast, 18% of recently married men in same-sex couples had been previously married.

Figure 2. First Marriage and Remarriage for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples, 2022

Source: NCFMR analyses of the American Community Survey PUMS 1-year estimates, 2022

Mean Age at First Marriage Among Newlyweds: First Marriages and Remarriages

• First-time married same-sex couples were older at first marriage than different-sex couples, and this holds true for men and women. However, since 2019 this gap has narrowed (Payne & Manning, 2021).
  • The mean age at first marriage for women in same-sex couples was 32 in contrast to age 29 for women in different-sex couples, narrowing from a gap of four years in 2019 to three in 2022.
  • Among men, the mean age at first marriage for same-sex couples was 36 in contrast to 31 for different-sex couples, narrowing from a gap of eight years in 2019 to five in 2022.
• Remarried same-sex couples and different-sex couples shared a similar mean age at marriage.  

Figure 3. Mean Age at Marriage and Marital History for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples Married in the Last Year, 2022

Source: NCFMR analyses of the American Community Survey PUMS 1-year estimates, 2022

Newlyweds’ Age Gap for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: First Marriages and Remarriages

• Mean age differences between same-sex couples who married in the last year were significantly higher than among different-sex couples, 5.3 years contrasted with 3.7 years.
• The age gap was smallest for recent first marriages, particularly among different-sex couples. Among different-sex couples, the gap was 2.8 years compared to 4.7 among same-sex couples.
• The mean age gap is greater for remarried couples. Among remarriages, the mean age difference was significantly smaller for different-sex couples (5.5 years) compared to same-sex couples (6.9 years).
• Despite persistent signficant differences between same-sex and different sex couples, all experienced declines in couple age gaps since 2019. However, the age gap among same-sex couples declined more than the gap among different-sex couples (Payne & Manning, 2021).

Figure 4. Mean Age Difference & Marital History for Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples Married in the Last Year, 2022 

Source: NCFMR analyses of the American Community Survey PUMS 1-year estimates, 2022

Data Source:

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey PUMS 1-year estimates, 2022.

References:

Payne, K. K. & Manning, W. D. (2021). Recent (2019) marriages to same-sex and different-sex couples: Marital history and age at marriage. Family Profiles, FP-21-19. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-21-19

Suggested Citation:

Westrick-Payne, K. K. & Manning, W. D. (2023). Recent marriages to same-sex and different-sex couples: Marital history and age at marriage, 2022. Family Profiles, FP-23-27. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-23-27