Generational Differences in Cohabitation and Marriage in the US

We use data from pooled 2000 to 2004 current population surveys (CPSs) to examine generational differences in cohabitation and marriage among men and women ages 20–34 in the US. Consistent with our expectation and in line with assimilation theory, levels of cohabitation rise across succeeding generations. In contrast, generational differences in marriage follow a curvilinear pattern such that those in the second generation are least likely to be married, which supports some contemporary extensions of assimilation theory. These patterns persist across education groups, and tend to hold across racial and ethnic groups, too, although among women, the predicted percentages cohabiting across generations vary widely by race-ethnicity. This paper is an original work by Brown, Van Hook and Glick and is being submitted exclusively to PRPR for publication consideration. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, March 30–April 2, 2005, Philadelphia, PA.