Divorced By 32...
At what age do most women get divorced by? Median divorce age men? Divorce age women in the U.S., divorce trends among men and women in the U.S.
The Median Divorce Age
The median divorce age for women in 2020 is 40.1, which is up from 27.7 in 1970 according to one study by Bowling Green. Some driving factors for this increase in age is that people are meeting and settling down later in age, rise in alternative methods for natural conception, rising costs and reduced stigma for having kids later in life.
This is something I knew directionally but had to confirm after I saw a recent reddit post in San Francisco. Reddit typically draws people with smaller social circles, introverted personalities and people with fewer options to seek advice from others. I found it interesting and slightly unusual that the number of commenting in this local post in San Francisco were all 32.
Divorce Rate Trends Men & Women
In another study by Bowling Green, researchers noticed a drop in divorce rates but a rise in divorce rates for folks 50 and over. This increase in divorce rates could be for a variety of reasons but my guess is that it correlates when kids graduate from high school and college (reduced financial obligations for child support, kids becoming more emotionally ready to process parents’ divorce etc).
So what is causing this common occurence (at least in this small cohort of San Francisco women)? It could be coincidence - someone could have mentioned they were 30 or 34 and perhaps others would have chimed in as well.
It could coincide with this new 32 is the new 16 phenomena attributed to Sex and the City’s Carry Bradshaw character (she was 32 when the sitcom debuted).
One other cultural factor was the pandemic. The pandemic did a number on people far more than they could ever imagine. Life is one thing if people have friends, are going into the office, are keeping busy but it’s another thing if you are home all day with your significant other, your friend circles shrunk, social skills regressed and bad habits surfaced (lack of exercise, proper diet, too much screen time etc).
I guess the point is not to figure out the exact reason(s) for the post above or to find the exact causes of divorce but to acknowledge these things may not be happening as often, but people are more open about it (online) but perhaps less so in person (as organic meetings, lunches etc. may have dropped for some to bod with friends.
Related reads:
Post-Pandemic Divorce Trends
One side effect of the pandemic for those starting a relationship is that many are eager to jump into relationships, make up for lost time, waste less time dating and be more decisive when choosing who to spend their time with.
People are fatigued by apps, are returning to offices for work and things are picking up again in terms of more events, nightlife, later hours for bars/restaurants and a renewed energy for going out and exploration. This includes more dating events, pop-ups, and quirky events drawn from a desire to meet others and build community.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in 5 years, we see the average time couples get engaged shortens for some, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if marriage rates drop as lasting effects of the pandemic has created a backlog in mental and physical health check-ins and more of a focus for folks to do self-work, focus on themselves before dating and embracing being single later on in life.
Too many people are busy, relying too much on dating apps rather than using them as another outlet to meet people beyond classes, work, social circles, events, hobbies and more. Online dating is merely a tool and when used too often, side effects such as less organic meetings, less time working on social skills and more of a focus on the online self vs the offline (real-self) unfolds.
One thing for sure, several men in the San Francisco Bay Area who are married to 32 year-old women will be caught off guard soon by these announcements.
Median Divorce Age San Francisco, Average Divorce Age Bay Area, Post Pandemic Divorce Trends, Post Covid Dating Trends.