2.8: Singlehood

Who Is More Likely to Be Single?

The single population in the United States varies considerably by age, gender, and race (Brown, 2020).

About half of men under 30 are single, compared with roughly one-quarter of men ages 30 to 64. Among women, about 30% under age 30 are single, dropping to 19% for those between 30 and 60.

Racial differences also emerge: White and Hispanic adults are less likely to be single than African American adults. Moreover, research suggests that Asian Americans are the most likely to marry, while African Americans are the least likely (Venugopal, 2011).

Geographic patterns matter as well—single individuals are more likely to live in large metropolitan areas, with New York City among the highest concentrations. Perhaps it is no coincidence that New York City became the backdrop for the television show "Sex and the City", which highlighted the lives, relationships, and independence of four women navigating urban single life.

Religion also plays a role in decisions around singlehood and marriage. People who place little or no value on religion are more likely to remain unmarried than those who view religion as highly important (Bakalar, 2010).

Why Singlehood Is Increasing

Several social changes have contributed to the growth of singlehood. Declining marriage rates and later marriage mean that adults are spending more of their lives without a spouse or partner. Greater educational and economic opportunities, particularly for women, have also reduced the economic necessity of marriage, while changing cultural attitudes have made remaining single a more socially acceptable option. Economic conditions may also shape partnership patterns. For example, employment and earnings have declined among some groups of unpartnered men, at a time when expectations that men should be financially able to support a family remain influential (Fry & Parker, 2021). Importantly, the rise in singlehood is not simply the result of people postponing marriage: much of the increase reflects a growing share of adults who have never married.

Social Pressure and the Stigma of Singlehood

Although both single men and women report feeling social pressure to marry, women tend to experience greater scrutiny. Single women are frequently portrayed as unhappy or as lacking something they are expected to have, while single men are often depicted as lifelong bachelors who cannot commit. Research shows that some single women report feeling insecure or marginalized within their families when their unmarried status is disparaged (Roberts, 2007). Popular culture often reflects these sentiments—for example, the "Bridget Jones" movie series portrays the social pressures and subtle stigmas faced by single women navigating family expectations and societal norms around marriage. At the same time, women over the age of thirty-five often describe feeling secure and content with remaining unmarried, as many in this group have achieved success in education and careers. Compared to women in the 1960s, women generally report feeling more independent and more prepared to live a significant portion of their adult lives without a spouse or domestic partner (Roberts, 2007).

The key takeaway is that being single should not be viewed merely as a rejection of marriage, but rather as a legitimate lifestyle choice in which marriage is not necessarily a central priority. 

Open Content, Shared Previously

Adapted by Sarah Earl-Novell from 14.3: Variations in Family Life in Introductory Sociology 3e (OpenStax), licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Modifications by Sarah Earl-Novell include remixing, editing, contextualization, and the addition of original content.

References

Bakalar, Nicholas. (2010, March 22). Education, Faith, and a Likelihood to Wed. The New York Times.

Brown, A. (2020, August 20). A profile of single Americans. Pew Research Center.

Fry, R., & Parker, K. (2021, October 5). Rising share of U.S. adults are living without a spouse or partner. Pew Research Center. 

Hemez, P. F., Washington, C. N., & Kreider, R. M. (2024). America’s families and living arrangements: 2022 (Current Population Reports No. P20-587). U.S. Census Bureau.

Roberts, S. (2007, January 16). 51% of women are now living without a spouse. The New York Times.

Venugopal, A. (2011, September 21). New York leads in never-married women. WNYC.