Median Age at First Marriage, 2014.

The median age at first marriage in the United States has increased steadily since the mid-20th century. In the mid-1950s, the median age was at a record low of just over 20 for women and 22 for men, but by 2014 (the most recent year available), the median age is over 27 for women and nearing 30 for men. This is, in part, due to a declining share of women ever married. In 2014, 40% of women aged 18-49 were never married, compared to 29% in 1989 (FP-15-17) and 20% of all women over 15 in 1950 (U.S. Census Bureau). Because the median age at first marriage has increased for both men and women, the gender gap--or age difference between median age at first marriage for males and females--has persisted, fluctuating between 1.6 and 2.7 years. This profile uses data from the 2014 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates to update our previous profiles on the topic for the years 2013 (FP-15-05), 2010 (FP-12-07), and 2008 (FP-09-03). (Author abstract)