Married couples, whose numbers have been declining for decades as a proportion of American households, have finally slipped into a minority, according to an analysis of new census figures by The New York Times.The American Community Survey, released this month by the Census Bureau, found that 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation’s 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier.
The numbers by no means suggests marriage is dead or necessarily that a tipping point has been reached. The total number of married couples is higher than ever, and most Americans eventually marry. But marriage has been facing more competition. A growing number of adults are spending more of their lives single or living unmarried with partners, and the potential social and economic implications are profound.
There are huge implications for this shift and the Times interviews various wonky-wonks on the subject. But they missed the biggest ones.
It means less money going to education. People are putting off marriage and clustering the child-years for the 30s and 40s. There's less of a spread with some people having kids younger and others putting it off until later. Fewer people are going to be willing to pull the level for the local budget initiative to increase the school budget.
A friend of mine has been dating a guy who's very anxious to get married. Since he's probably on the way out, we've been talking about the pros and cons of marriage without have to deal with love. She's very worried about getting stuck with the lion share of housework drudgery if she gets married. She likes just taking care of herself and doesn't want to pick up after a man.
I don't think that getting married necessarily means picking up after a man. There has been some evolution in that department. With some negotiations, ground rules, and outsourcing, things can be divied up just fine.
The biggest problem for inequities come when the kids come around. Not because guys are evil, but because there are very few flexible careers that enable an equal division of labor. And taking care of kids is so much labor intensive than cleaning the tub. I silently mock some of the younger feminist bloggers for writing so much about housework and so little about childrearing. They just don't get it. But even here, there are ways to get around the problem of one partner working too many hours and making the majority of the cash.
I like being married. Being married had no real change on my life. We had better kitchen appliances, but other than that, Steve and I maintained the same lifestyle we had when we were dating, until Jonah arrived. I like the companionship and the partnership. It's really the only way to go, if you really want kids. I'm a social person, who would probably have found some other alternative communal living situation, if I hadn't gotten married. Living in Manhattan also means never having to get married.
However, other friends aren't as thrilled and daydream about their days in their slummy studio apartments.
Question of the Day Why get married?