NC in Focus: Ever Married by Age

Nationally, 2 in 3 individuals 15 and older have ever been married according to the 2013 American Community Survey. In North Carolina, this proportion is slightly higher: 68.2%. The vast majority (71%) of ever married North Carolinians are still married. Another sixteen percent are divorced, four percent are currently separated, and nine percent are widowed.

Examining trends by age shows similar trends in North Carolina and the nation. The share of individuals ever married stays very low until age 18 and then begins to rise steadily. By age 29, half of North Carolinians are currently or have been married. Nationwide, 30 marks the age at which over half of respondents have ever been married.