Marital status and living arrangements: March 1985.

This report presents detailed information on the marital status and living arrangements of the noninstitutional population of the US, by age, sex, race, and Spanish origin. The report is compared to the mid-decade estimates based on the March 1985 Current Population Survey with survey data from 1980, 1970, and 1960. Changes in marital status include: 1) postponement of 1st marriage, 2) a growing proportion of never married persons, and 3) an additional growth in "singles" due to divorce and separation. Changes in living arrangements include increased proportions of 1) children who live in single-parent situations, 2) young adults who live with their parents, 3) persons who live alone, and 4) adults who reside in unmarried-couple households. Some highlights discussed include: 1) during the 1980s, the proportion of women aged 20 to 24 years who had never married has been the largest ever recorded; 2) there were 119 unmarried men aged 25 to 34 years for every 100 unmarried women aged 25 to 34 years in 1985; 3) between 1970 and 1985, the divorce ratio rose from 47 to 128 divorced persons per 1000 married persons with spouse present; 4) 23% of children under 18 lived with 1 parent in 1985, compared with 9% in 1960; 5) 60% of men and 48% of women 18 to 24 lived at their parents home in 1985; 6) in 1985, most elderly men still lived with their wives while elderly women were more likely to live alone than with their husbands; and 7) the rapid growth in unmarried couple households during the 1970s has slowed in recent years.