TABLE 2.
Nuptiality Measures for the Native-Born White Population by Birth Cohort and Section of Birth
| Birth Cohort |
Mean Age at Marriage |
Percent Ever Married 15–19 |
Percent Ever Married 20–24 |
Percent Ever Married 25–30 |
Percent Ever Married 30–34 |
Percent Ever Married 35–39 |
Percent Ever Married 40–44 |
Percent Single 45–69 |
Percent Widowed 40–49 |
Percent Widowed 50–59 |
Sex Ratio 20–29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S.-born Whites | |||||||||||
| Males | |||||||||||
| 1821–1830 | 26.6 | 1.8 | 24.7 | 61.3 | 79.0 | 87.8 | 90.5 | 6.4 | n.a. | 5.9 | 102.6 |
| 1831–1840 | 26.5 | 1.8 | 23.8 | 61.3 | 80.3 | 87.5 | 89.9 | 7.1 | 4.3 | n.a. | 102.7 |
| 1841–1850 | 26.5 | 1.6 | 25.5 | 62.1 | 77.8 | 86.5 | 87.5 | 8.2 | 4.6 | 8.6 | 93.5 |
| 1851–1860 | 27.1 | 1.6 | 21.2 | 59.7 | 73.1 | 82.6 | 86.5 | 10.0 | 4.5 | 8.3 | 103.5 |
| 1861–1870 | 27.4 | 1.1 | 20.6 | 55.3 | 70.5 | 80.4 | 84.2 | 11.8 | 4.0 | 7.6 | 102.5 |
| 1871–1880 | 27.3 | 1.0 | 20.2 | 52.7 | 72.4 | 80.3 | 85.9 | 12.1 | 3.2 | 6.3 | 101.8 |
| Females | |||||||||||
| 1821–1830 | 22.6 | 12.6 | 54.3 | 78.2 | 86.3 | 90.4 | 90.4 | 7.5 | n.a. | 20.7 | 102.6 |
| 1831–1840 | 22.9 | 12.6 | 54.3 | 78.3 | 84.7 | 89.2 | 90.0 | 7.8 | 13.3 | n.a. | 102.7 |
| 1841–1850 | 23.1 | 12.7 | 53.2 | 76.6 | 84.7 | 88.2 | 88.9 | 8.0 | 10.6 | 20.7 | 93.5 |
| 1851–1860 | 23.3 | 11.0 | 50.1 | 76.0 | 82.8 | 86.8 | 88.2 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 20.3 | 103.5 |
| 1861–1870 | 23.4 | 11.3 | 48.2 | 72.9 | 81.7 | 85.9 | 88.4 | 10.3 | 8.7 | 18.8 | 102.5 |
| 1871–1880 | 23.4 | 10.9 | 46.9 | 71.0 | 82.1 | 86.7 | 87.9 | 10.7 | 7.9 | 16.8 | 101.8 |
| Northern-born Whites | |||||||||||
| Males | |||||||||||
| 1821–1830 | 26.9 | 1.3 | 21.6 | 60.0 | 78.2 | 87.4 | 89.7 | 6.7 | n.a. | 5.9 | 102.8 |
| 1831–1840 | 26.7 | 1.3 | 21.5 | 60.2 | 78.9 | 86.7 | 89.1 | 7.5 | 4.4 | n.a. | 103.5 |
| 1841–1850 | 26.9 | 1.1 | 22.1 | 60.4 | 76.3 | 85.5 | 86.8 | 8.9 | 4.5 | 8.6 | 96.3 |
| 1851–1860 | 27.4 | 1.2 | 18.5 | 56.3 | 71.2 | 81.4 | 85.8 | 11.0 | 4.2 | 7.7 | 103.4 |
| 1861–1870 | 27.8 | 0.7 | 18.2 | 52.5 | 68.5 | 79.1 | 82.7 | 12.6 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 102.6 |
| 1871–1880 | 27.6 | 0.6 | 18.0 | 50.3 | 70.3 | 78.6 | 84.5 | 13.4 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 102.0 |
| Females | |||||||||||
| 1821–1830 | 23.0 | 10.3 | 52.2 | 77.2 | 85.7 | 90.4 | 90.0 | 7.5 | n.a. | 18.2 | 102.8 |
| 1831–1840 | 23.1 | 10.3 | 52.4 | 77.6 | 85.5 | 89.5 | 90.2 | 7.8 | 10.7 | n.a. | 103.5 |
| 1841–1850 | 23.3 | 10.9 | 51.7 | 76.4 | 85.1 | 88.5 | 88.4 | 8.2 | 9.9 | 19.3 | 96.3 |
| 1851–1860 | 23.5 | 9.7 | 47.6 | 74.8 | 82.2 | 86.2 | 87.5 | 9.8 | 9.2 | 19.2 | 103.4 |
| 1861–1870 | 23.8 | 9.1 | 45.0 | 77.0 | 80.7 | 84.9 | 87.1 | 11.1 | 8.2 | 17.9 | 102.6 |
| 1871–1880 | 23.9 | 8.6 | 43.2 | 68.7 | 79.8 | 85.2 | 86.6 | 12.0 | 7.3 | 15.7 | 102.0 |
| Southern-born Whites | |||||||||||
| Males | |||||||||||
| 1821–1830 | 26.4 | 3.4 | 29.6 | 61.6 | 78.5 | 86.3 | 90.3 | 6.1 | n.a. | 5.8 | 102.1 |
| 1831–1840 | 26.3 | 3.4 | 27.8 | 61.4 | 82.1 | 87.0 | 92.0 | 6.0 | 3.8 | n.a. | 101.4 |
| 1841–1850 | 25.9 | 3.4 | 32.6 | 64.3 | 81.2 | 89.1 | 90.2 | 6.1 | 4.9 | 8.6 | 87.5 |
| 1851–1860 | 26.0 | 3.3 | 27.7 | 67.5 | 79.3 | 86.7 | 89.3 | 7.2 | 5.0 | 9.1 | 103.7 |
| 1861–1870 | 26.2 | 2.0 | 27.0 | 64.0 | 78.1 | 85.2 | 89.1 | 8.3 | 4.2 | 8.2 | 101.6 |
| 1871–1880 | 26.3 | 2.0 | 26.6 | 61.6 | 78.3 | 85.5 | 90.3 | 8.2 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 100.2 |
| Females | |||||||||||
| 1821–1830 | 22.2 | 17.3 | 57.3 | 79.0 | 86.3 | 89.2 | 88.8 | 8.3 | n.a. | 25.0 | 102.1 |
| 1831–1840 | 22.6 | 17.3 | 57.6 | 79.2 | 82.0 | 86.7 | 89.4 | 8.1 | 18.5 | n.a. | 101.4 |
| 1841–1850 | 22.8 | 16.7 | 55.7 | 75.9 | 83.9 | 87.4 | 89.9 | 7.8 | 12.7 | 23.7 | 87.5 |
| 1851–1860 | 22.9 | 14.1 | 55.6 | 78.5 | 84.1 | 88.2 | 90.1 | 7.4 | 11.7 | 22.4 | 103.7 |
| 1861–1870 | 22.4 | 17.1 | 55.8 | 77.7 | 84.3 | 88.7 | 91.3 | 8.1 | 9.9 | 21.3 | 101.6 |
| 1871–1880 | 22.5 | 16.5 | 55.9 | 77.1 | 87.0 | 89.9 | 91.1 | 7.5 | 9.4 | 19.8 | 100.2 |
Source: 1850–1930 IPUMS samples (Ruggles et al., 2004).
Notes: Italicized cells are estimated values. Becausethe 1890 census data do not survive, widowhood estimates are not available for some age-birth cohort combinations, and are shown above as “n.a.” (not available).