U.S. Census Bureau

Indicators of Marriage and Fertility in the United States from the American Community Survey: 2000 to 2003

By Tallese Johnson and Jane Dye

Population Division
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Washington, DC 20233

May 2005

DISCLAIMER:

This report is released to inform interested parties of ongoing research and to encourage discussion of work in progress. The views expressed on (statistical, methodological, technical, or operational) issues are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Table of Contents

Indicators of Marriage and Fertility in the United States from the American Community Survey, 2000 to 2003.

Abstract

This paper highlights the benefits of using the American Community Survey (ACS) including the ability to analyze data at the state and national levels, as well as explore the relationship between socio-economic characteristics and changing family structure. The following family structure variables are explored in the paper: estimated median age at first marriage, married and unmarried couple households, and women with a birth in the last year. In order to approximate the quality of the fully implemented ACS 2005 survey of 3 million households, 4 years (2000-2003) of ACS data are used.

Findings

Our analysis of family structure variables at the state level shows that there are marked geographic patterns. States with populations that had a high estimated median age at first marriage tend to have had higher proportions of unmarried-couple households and lower proportions of married-couple households. Geographic differences in the proportion of women with infants living below the poverty level correlated with low levels of labor force participation, high proportions of births among teenagers, and high proportions of births among unmarried mothers.

Estimated Median Age at First Marriage (MAFM) and Coupled Households
The estimated median age at first marriage (MAFM) in the United States for 2000-2003 was 27 and 25 years old for men and women respectively. The MAFM for men and women was higher than the national averages in the Northeast.i The MAFM for men and women was lower than the national averages in the Midwest, West and South. States in the West and Midwest had a higher percentage of married couples compared with the national average (50.6 percent). Scattered states in the West and the South had a lower percentage of married couples as compared with the national average. States in the West, and a few states in the Northeast had a higher percentage of unmarried partner households than the national average. Most states in the South had a lower percentage of unmarried partner households compared with the national average.

Women with a Birth in the Last Year
For 2000-2003, 29 percent of women with a birth in the last year were unmarried in the United States. Most states in the South had a higher percentage of mothers with a birth in the l ast year who were unmarried compared with the national average. Most states in the West, Midwest and Northeast had lower percentages of mothers with a birth in the last year who were unmarried compared with the national average. In the United States, around 8 percent of mothers with a birth in the last year were teenagers. States in the South had a higher percentage of mothers with a birth in the last year who were teenagers compared with the national average. Most states in the Northeast were composed of a lower percentage of mothers who are teenagers compared with the national average.

Women with a Birth in the Last Year Who Were Below the Poverty level
Among mothers with a birth in the last year in the United States, 23 percent were below the poverty level for 2000-2003; 12 percent of all married mothers with a birth in the last year were below the poverty level; and half of all unmarried mothers with a birth in the last year were below the poverty level. A higher percentage of married mothers with a birth in the last year who live in the West and South were below the poverty level compared with the national average. Married mothers with a birth in the last year who live in the Midwest and Northeast had a lower percentage living below the poverty level compared with the national average. Most states in the South, and some states in the West had a higher percentage of unmarried mothers with a birth in the last year who were below the poverty level compared with the national a verage. No distinct geographical patterns were found among the lower percentage of unmarried mothers with a birth in the last year who were below the poverty level compared with the national average.

Women with a Birth in the Last Year Who Were in the Labor Force
Fifty-six percent of all mothers with a birth in the last year were in the labor force for 2000-2003; 54 percent of all married mothers with a birth in the last year were in the labor force; and 60 percent of all unmarried mothers with a birth in the last year were in the labor force. Across all groups, mothers with a birth in the last year who lived in the Midwest had higher labor force participation rates than recorded nationally. Across all groups, mothers with a birth in the last year who lived in the West had lower labor force participation rates than recorded nationally.

Women with a Birth in the Last Year by Language and Citizenship
Eight percent of mothers with a birth in the last year in the United States spoke English "not well" or "not at all" for 2000-2003. Fifteen percent of mothers with a birth in the last year were non-citizens. States in the West, Texas, and Illinois had a higher percentage of mothers who spoke English "not well" or "not at all", and were non-citizens compared with the national average. States in the Midwest and South had a lower percentage of mothers who spoke English "not well" or "not at all," and were non-citizens compared with the national average.

i Northeast Region includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Midwest Region includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

South Region includes Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

West Region includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, and Hawaii.

The letters PPT indicate a document is in the Microsoft PowerPoint Format (PPT).
In order to view these files, you will need the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2003 which is available for free from the Microsoft web site.

[PDF] or PDF denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader This link to a non-federal Web site does not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content. available free from Adobe.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division,
Fertility & Family Statistics Branch
Questions? / 1-866-758-1060
Created: August 18, 2005
Skip this navigation menu
People | Estimates | Projections | Glossary | Help

This symbol Symbol indicating that file is external to this site. indicates a link to a non-government web site. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.