Which states have the most married members of Generation Z? Utah is in top 5
Although the dating scene in today’s world looks more like a Shakespearean tragedy than a Jane Austen fairy tale, some Gen Zers are still finding love worth putting a ring on it.
Some have called Generation Z the most undatable generation, and rightly so: as a Gen Zer myself, I can attest to the trials and tribulations the dating field encompasses. However, a study by family law firm Melone Hatley, P.C. found that some states have more success than others when it comes to generational dating.
Those that fall under Generation Z were born between 1997 and 2012 or are currently ages 12 to 27. Millennials, who were also a part of the study, were born between 1981 and 1996 and are currently between the ages of 28 to 43.
Which states had to most married Gen Zers
To those of us who live in Utah, it may not come as much of a shock that Utah was ranked No. 1 for both Gen Z and millennial marriages.
“In Utah, more than 1 in 10 Gen Z are married, with 10.56% being listed as married with their spouse present. There are approximately 577,000 people aged between 15 and 24 in Utah, and 60,996 of them are married,” the study found. This gives Utah the highest ratio out of any other state.
The top five states in the study for most married members of Gen Z were ranked as follows:
Utah: 10.56%.
Wyoming: 9.35%.
Alaska: 8.77%.
Idaho: 7.92%.
Oklahoma: 6.73%.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Rhode Island holds the record for the lowest marriage rate among 15- to 24-year-olds, with a mere 1,288 marriages among 150,000 individuals in this age group, resulting in a marriage rate of only 0.86%. Massachusetts ranks as the state with the second-lowest marriage rate for Generation Z at 1.2%, while Connecticut comes in third with a rate of 1.43%.
“It’s fascinating to see the data on marriage rates across the two youngest generations of adults in America. The national average percentage of people in the Gen Z age range who are married is 3.78%, which shows that in states like Utah, Wyoming and Alaska, people aged between 15 and 24 are getting married at a considerably higher rate,” a spokesperson for Melone Hatley, P.C. told the Deseret News in an email.
“For millennials, the national average is 42.2%, but varies from as high as 56% in Utah, to as low as 36% in Hawaii.”
Related
Are Gen Zers dating differently?
The popular dating app Tinder did a “Future of Dating Report 2023” that revealed Gen Zers to be changing the game of dating in a way that is different from generations before them.
“18- to 25-year-olds (Gen Z) are supercharging dating in a way that no previous generation has done before them,” the report found. “Sixty-nine percent of Gen Z believe that they are the ones to refresh dating standards for the future and more than half of millennials agree that dating is healthier for 18- to 25-year-olds today than it was when they were the same age.”
A big reason for this difference has to do with Generation Z’s desire to prioritize themselves first and foremost.
“Personal development, emotional well-being and clear communication in relationships are priorities for Gen Z, which leads to stronger and healthier marriages,” Paul C. Brunson, Tinder’s global expert in relationship insights, told the New York Post.
“They are, however, less interested in marriage than previous generations, preferring to focus on creating fulfilling lives,” Brunson added.
Because of the emphasis Gen Z places on mental health and establishing boundaries, Brunson said he predicts that when they do decide to marry, having these priorities will pave the way for them to experience more successful marriages than any other generation.
