Cohabiting Partners Older, More Racially Diverse, More Educated, Higher Earners

The number of unmarried partners living together in the United States nearly tripled in two decades from 6 million to 17 million, 7% of the total adult population (xls).

As more unmarried couples opted to live together, their profile changed significantly, according to a new study from the U.S. Census Bureau: “Cohabitation over the Last 20 Years: Measuring and Understanding the Changing Demographics of Unmarried Partners, 1996-2017.”

The latest estimates from the Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) show unmarried partners are now older, more racially diverse, more educated and more likely to earn higher wages.

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