Most U.S. Adults Have Lived with a Romantic Partner They’re Not Married to by Their Early 40s

Pew Research Center found that roughly three-quarters of Americans in their late 30s and early 40s have lived with a romantic partner they weren't married to at some point in their lives. Using longitudinal data that followed the same group of Americans since adolescence, Pew found important differences in whether those relationships eventually lead to marriage, including that adults with bachelor's degrees are more likely than those without degrees to ultimately marry a partner with whom they've lived.

The findings reflect how traditional timelines for relationships, marriage and household formation continue to evolve. Financial institutions, insurance providers, real estate professionals, home furnishings retailers, travel companies and other businesses can benefit from recognizing that major purchasing and financial decisions increasingly occur outside traditional marriage milestones, creating opportunities to reach consumers based on life stage and household needs rather than marital status alone.