Table 2.

Percent Distribution Of Independent Variables and Differences In Mean Expectations To Cohabit and Many (N = 1,953)

	% (SE)	Mean Expectations to Cohabit (SE)	Mean Expectations to Marry (SE)	N
Mother’s educational attainment
Less than high school	0.14	2.48 (0.07)	3.38 (0.07)	357 ***
High school/GED	0.27	2.47 (0.07)	3.57 (0.04)	548 ***
Some college	0.31	2.43 (0.06)	3.61 (0.03)	588 ***
Bachelor’s degree +	0.27	2.47 (0.08)	3.60 (0.05)	458 ***
Marital history
Never married	0.98	2.46 (0.04)	3.58 (0.03)	1905 ***
Prior marriage	0.02	2.49 (0.23)	2.98 (0.17)	46 *
Cohabitation history
Never cohabited	0.82	2.41 (0.05)	3.59 (0.03)	1526 ***
Prior cohabitation	0.18	2.66 (0.08)	3.43 (0.05)	425 ***
Maternal status
No Biological Children	0.87	2.44 (0.05)	3.60 (0.03)	1570 ***
Biological Child(ren)	0.13	2.59 (0.07)	3.31 (0.05)	381 ***
Age at interview
18 to 19	0.35	2.39 (0.05)	3.58 (0.04)	735 ***
20 to 24	0.65	2.49 (0.05)	3.55 (0.03)	1216 ***
Race/ethnicity
Non-Hispanic white	0.53	2.53 (0.06)	3.63 (0.03)	851 ***
Non-Hispanic black	0.18	2.18 (0.07)	3.59 (0.03)	486 ***
Hispanic	0.21	2.50 (0.07)	3.47 (0.05)	482 ***
Non-Hispanic other	0.08	2.47 (0.08)	3.32 (0.13)	132 ***
Urban residence
Urban	0.39	2.53 (0.08)	3.51 (0.03)	848 ***
Not urban	0.61	2.41 (0.05)	3.60 (0.04)	1103 ***
Family background
Lived with bio/adopted parents until 18	0.58	2.39 (0.06)	3.65 (0.03)	995 ***
Did not live with bio/adopted parents	0.42	2.55 (0.05)	3.45 (0.04)	956 ***
Importance of religion
Not important or no religion	0.29	2.90 (0.06)	3.41 (0.05)	573 ***
Somewhat important	0.31	2.59 (0.06)	3.54 (0.04)	599 ***
Very important	0.39	2.01 (0.06)	3.70 (0.03)	779 ***

Source: National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) 2011 – 2015.

Note: All values are weighted. Single women aged 18 to 24.

^*p < .05.

^**p < .01.

^***p < .001.