Table 1.

Demographic Characteristics of Cohabiting Couples

Variables	Measures	Means
Age	Mean age: Men	26.4 years
	Mean age: Women	24.4 years
Couple-level incomea	Mean combined income	$38,971
	Median combined income	$33,350
Couple-Level Measures		N
Relative age	Man >4 years older	4
	Woman >4 years older	2
	Both within 4 years	24
Educational attainment	Both high school or less	1
	1 ≤ high school, 1 some college	5
	Both some college or associate degree	20
	1 high school, 1 BA	1
	1 some college, 1 BA	3
Relative schooling	Man has more education	7
	Woman has more education	7
	Equal levels of schooling	16
Race	Both White	13
	Both Hispanic	1
	Both Black	4
	Mixed race	12
Relative earningsa	Man earns 60% or more	13
	Woman earns 60% or more	6
	Each partner earns within 40% to 60%	11
Marital status	Both never married	24
	One never married, one previously married	6
Parental status	Both no children	16
	Both share childrenb	5
	Man has children (not woman)	6
	Woman has children (not man)	2
	Each has child from prior relationship	1
Duration of cohabitationc	3–6 months	8
	7–11 months	2
	12–23 months	5
	24–35 months	7
	3 years or more	8
N		30 couples (60 individuals)

^aDetermined by summing each partner’s reported individual income. In one instance, where the male partner did not report his income, we relied on his partner’s report of both their incomes.

^bIn two instances, the couples share a child and the male partner also has a child from a prior relationship.

^cFive couples have broken up and gotten back together; their living together duration is from the initial cohabitation to the interview date.