New research shows that younger adults are more likely to have shared a home with a partner than a spouse, but that cohabitation doesn’t deliver the same levels of happiness, trust and well-being that marriage can bring.
Sources continue to show that married Americans enjoy greater overall happiness, as well as greater satisfaction with their relationships. The marriage happiness premium extends to nearly every aspect of a couple’s relationship, with one notable exception: their sex lives.
Social scientists have known for some time that married people tend to be happier than their single counterparts. But the recent rise of cohabitation without marriage has complicated that picture somewhat, with modern relationships often involving a lot more ambiguity and nuance.
Couples deciding to move in together in order to save money on monthly expenses may be facing greater economic challenges in life than those who are able to prioritize things like commitment and children in their search for a spouse.
Married people are more likely to say they’re happy with their partner’s parenting techniques, the division of household chores, their partner’s work/life balance, and the level of communication within the relationship.
But the married and cohabiting are on par in one realm: sex. Similar percentages of each report being very satisfied with their sex life. Among married people in particular, women report greater levels of satisfaction with their sex lives than men. This gap does not exist among cohabiting couples.
Similar patterns exist among measures of relationship trust, with married adults more likely to report trust in their partner to be faithful, act in their best interests, tell the truth and handle money responsibly.
Overall, the data from Pew and elsewhere show that from a life satisfaction perspective, marriage is typically the best choice for the couples who are able to make it. But it suggests that financial difficulties are a key reason why many couples are choosing to cohabitate rather than get married.