Why Many Unmarried Adults in Midlife Prefer Cohabitation Over Marriage

A study of single adults in their 30s and 40s found that cohabitation is often more appealing than marriage, while many prefer staying single or remain unsure.

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A recent study of 799 single adults ages 30 to 50 found that relationship goals in early midlife are far more varied than one standard path toward marriage and children. Cohabitation was the most commonly preferred option among the choices studied, while marriage attracted a smaller share and roughly a quarter of participants said they did not want either a marriage or a live-in relationship. Many others were uncertain about what they wanted next. The researchers used data from the 2023 Singlehood in America survey and looked at how earlier relationship and family experiences were connected with future plans. People who had previously lived with a partner were more likely to want another cohabiting relationship or marriage, while previous marriage did not reduce the desire to marry again. Parenthood was not strongly linked with wanting or rejecting a future relationship. The study also found that most participants did not want another child, although the sample was already largely made up of parents. Overall, the findings suggest that adults in their thirties and forties can have very different ideas about partnership, marriage, living arrangements, and parenthood, with earlier experiences and present circumstances helping shape those preferences.

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