Median Age at First Marriage: Geographic Variation, 2024

Family Profile No. 1, 2026
Author: Krista K. Westrick-Payne

Introduction

This profile presents estimates of the median age at first marriage for the United States and each state by sex among individuals aged 15—54 in 2024, based on 1-year estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) (Table B12007).[1] Direct estimates identify the age at which half of males and females entered their first marriage in the past year. Associated margins of error are also provided. The ACS has collected marriage data continuously since 2008. This Family Profile is an update of the following past profiles: FP-25-09, FP-24-08, FP-21-13, FP-19-07, FP-09-03.

Trend in Median Age at First Marriage by Sex, 2008-2024

• Spanning 16 years (2008 through 2024), the median age at first marriage increased by 2.8 years for males (to 30.8) and 2.6 years for females (to 28.8). The sex gap in the age at first marriage has remained about two years from 2008 through 2024.
• Median ages at first marriages remained relatively stable nationwide, with 2024 estimates marking the highest levels observed for both males and females since the ACS began collecting marriage data in 2008. Over the last five years the age at marriage has remained at about age 30 for males and 28 for females.

[1] The standard 2020 ACS 1-year data products were not released due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection and data quality (for more information click here).

Figure 1. Median Age at First Marriage, 2008-2019 & 2021-2024

States with the Highest and Lowest Median Age at First Marriage by Sex, 2024

• Among males in 2024, the highest median age at first marriage were observed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire (32.4), while the lowest was observed in Utah (27.2) and Arkansas (27.2).
• Among females, Washington D.C. had the highest median age at first marriage (32.3), whereas Utah had the lowest (25.2).
• Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. ranked among the top five highest states for median age at first marriage among both males and females.

Utah and Arkansas ranked among the lowest five states for the median age at first marriage among both males and females.

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year est., Table B12007, 2024

State Rankings and Geographic Variation in the Median Age at First Marriage by Sex, 2024

The state rankings are divided into quartiles, with error bars representing the margins of error (MOE). MOEs for published ACS estimates are provided at a 90% confidence level. [2]

• Among both males and females, states in the top quartile had median ages of first marriage significantly above the national median. The top quartile included ages 31.3 years or older for males and 29.8 years or older for females.
• States in the bottom quartile had median ages at first marriage significantly below the national median, with ages of 29.0 years or younger for males and 26.8 years or younger among females.
• The range in the median age at first marriage across states was 5.2 years among males and 7.1 years among females.
• Most states in the Northeast had high median ages at first marriage for both males and females, with 70% of states for males and 80% for females falling in the top quartile.
• Across both males and females, Midwestern states were concentrated in the lower half of the distribution, with 75% of states falling within the first or second quartiles for median age at first marriage.
• Southern states were largely absent from the top quartile for median age at first marriage, with no states in the fourth quartile among females and only one among males; instead, most Southern states fell within the first through third quartiles, with males more heavily concentrated in the lowest quartile and females in the second quartile.
• In the West, median ages at first marriage most commonly fell in the third quartile, whereas males split between the first and third quartiles.

[2] Washington, DC is included with the Northeast for analytic purposes.

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year est., Table B12007, 2024

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year est., Table B12007, 2024.