The Average Age Women Are Getting Married

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How many family get togethers involve the question, “Are you seeing anyone yet?” For me, it’s not as often as one might think and that’s only because my family has figured out the answer is going to be, “No.”

Turns out I am not the only woman out there who isn’t 22 and married. Heck, I’m not even 30 and married. Guess what? I’m ok with that.

And so are most women in the US, according to Women’s Health magazine. Today, the average age for first marriages is 27 for women and 29 for men, making it the longest men and women have waited to tie the knot.

The average age has slowly crept up. In 1950 the average age women got married was 20 years old. Then, in 1980 it increased to 22, and in 1990 went up to 24.

Why the wait? There are a myriad of reasons as to why more women are choosing to stay single rather than get hitched, and some of them have to do with how millennials view relationships today.

For starters, millennials are much more inclined to stay single in their twenties because they enjoy having sexual freedom. It’s not taboo to be 20 and single, in fact most parents would probably prefer their 20 year old stay away from marriage and work toward their degree.

But aside from social norms changing, the fact that it’s more accepted to be with people without being married is also a reason why younger generations don’t feel rushed into marriage.

It also could be due to the fact that more couples are choosing to live together but not get married. In 2016, 18 million couples were living together but not married.

Lastly, views on marriage have also changed. In today’s culture marriage isn’t as sacred as it once was. By that I mean marriage isn’t viewed as an end-all-be-all way to a happy and fulfilling life.

More women are forging their own career paths, more men and choosing to remain bachelors, and more marriages are lasting for a longer period of time because people are waiting until they feel mature enough to embark on matrimony.

With age comes maturity and the ability to look at a relationship with respect. Childish antics disappear and communication skills become more developed.

Because of this people are taking their time and really choosing to get married when they feel ready to make the commitment.