FIGURE 9.5 The Median Age at First Marriage The average age at first marriage is five years older for young adults today than it was in the 1970s. Part of the explanation for this trend is that more people are postponing marriage in order to complete a college education. Among young adults in the 25-to-34 age range, 26 percent of men and 33 percent of women have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Sources: Data from U.S. Census Bureau (2008a, 2008b, 2008c); Vespa & others, 2013.