{"id":11318,"date":"2026-10-29T13:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T13:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=11318"},"modified":"2026-10-29T13:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T13:09:12","slug":"marriage-rates-reveal-stark-divide-between-americas-cities-and-suburbs-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2026\/10\/marriage-rates-reveal-stark-divide-between-americas-cities-and-suburbs-new-study-finds.html","title":{"rendered":"Marriage Rates Reveal Stark Divide Between America\u2019s Cities and Suburbs, New Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marriage is becoming increasingly rare in some of America’s largest cities, with a new study revealing that fewer than one in five households with children are headed by married couples in certain neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

The findings from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) reveal a striking divide between urban communities where marriage is increasingly uncommon and wealthier suburbs where married couples and two-parent families remain the norm.<\/p>\n

Researchers are calling these areas “marriage deserts” and “marriage gardens,” highlighting dramatically different family experiences for children growing up across America.<\/p>\n

“This does not appear to describe small variations around shared national norms, but rather two distinct family-formation regimes, so stark it could even be described as family structure polarization,” the researchers wrote.<\/p>\n

Using 2020 Census data, the study found that just 13 percent of householders ages 15 to 64 in parts of Detroit were married, compared with 79 percent in northwest Fort Bend County, Texas.<\/p>\n

The divide was even more striking among households with children.<\/p>\n

In eastern Cleveland, only 18 percent of households with children were headed by married couples. That number rose to 20 percent in eastern Washington, D.C., and 22 percent in central Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, some suburban communities in California, New Jersey and Utah reported married-parent household rates approaching 89 percent.<\/p>\n

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Here are the areas with the highest percentage of people aged 15-64 who are married.<\/p>\n

These marriage gardens are located across six states\u2014Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Texas appears three times in the top 10, while Utah and New Jersey each appear twice. They tend to be located in suburban areas.<\/p>\n

\u2014 The Institute for Family Studies (@FamStudies) October 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n