Wedding Templates Reports U.S. Marriage Rate Reached Six-Year High in 2024
SHERIDAN, WY / ACCESS Newswire / November 5, 2026 / Wedding Templates has analyzed provisional national and state marriage figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, finding that the U.S. marriage rate rose to 6.3 per 1,000 people in 2024, its highest level since 2018. The country recorded 2,128,446 marriages, an increase of 4.2% from 2,041,926 in 2023.
The Wedding Templates analysis examines annual marriage counts, state differences and longer-term changes, alongside divorce figures and household data. The 2024 marriage total represented approximately 5,800 marriages a day across the leap year's 366 days. Both the national count and the rate increased from 2023, when the rate stood at 6.1 per 1,000 people.
The annual increase amounted to 86,520 marriages, the largest gain since 2021. The 2024 total was 451,535 above the 2020 count and 112,843 above the 2,015,603 marriages recorded in 2019. It remained 4,407 below the 2,132,853 marriages recorded in 2018. The 2024 rate also exceeded the 2019 rate of 6.1.
The analysis places these changes within the decline and subsequent increases recorded since 2020. That year, the country recorded 1,676,911 marriages, the fewest since 1963, and a rate of 5.1 per 1,000 people, the lowest in national records dating to 1867. In 2021, the count increased by 308,161 to 1,985,072, the largest one-year increase in the 2000-2024 series.
Despite the recent increase, the 2024 marriage rate remained below every annual rate recorded from 1900 through 2018. The historical rate peaked at 16.4 per 1,000 people in 1946. It stood at 8.2 in 2000, remained between 6.8 and 7.0 from 2009 through 2017, and declined to 6.5 in 2018. The largest annual marriage count was 2,477,000 in 1984.
State figures showed substantial differences. Nevada recorded 24.8 marriages per 1,000 residents, followed by Utah at 13.4 and Hawaii at 12.4. The District of Columbia recorded 10.1. Louisiana had the lowest state rate at 3.7, followed by Delaware and Ohio at 4.9 and New Jersey at 5.0. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia exceeded the national rate.
Among the four most populous states, Florida recorded a rate of 7.0 and New York recorded 6.7, while California and Texas each recorded 5.8. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assigns marriages to the state where the ceremony takes place rather than where the couple resides. State rates divide those marriage counts by the state's resident population.
Compared with 2000, marriage rates were lower in 45 states. Utah, Montana and Connecticut, together with the District of Columbia, recorded higher rates, while California remained unchanged at 5.8. The state table contains no 2000 figure for Oklahoma. Compared with 2019, rates were lower in 27 states, higher in 18 states and the District of Columbia, and unchanged in five states.
The analysis also covers divorces and annulments, with reporting limitations distinguished from the national marriage figures. In the 45 states and the District of Columbia included in the divorce data, the 2024 total was 662,950, equivalent to 2.3 per 1,000 residents, down from 2.4 in 2023. The figures exclude California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota and New Mexico. The 2024 rate matched 2020 as the lowest in the 2000-2024 series.
Separate household and marriage-age estimates provide additional context. The median age at first marriage in 2025 was 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women, compared with 26.8 and 25.1 in 2000. Married couples accounted for 47% of U.S. households in 2025, compared with 66% in 1975.
The underlying marriage and divorce tables classify all figures as provisional, and earlier years may be revised. Counts are compiled from state reporting, while rates use population data. The national marriage table covers 2000 through 2024, and the state tables cover 1990, 1995 and 2000 through 2024. The analysis uses these tables and accompanying data notes to calculate daily averages, percentage changes and state rankings.
About Wedding Templates
Wedding Templates analyzes marriage and divorce statistics, historical trends and household data. Its analysis of 2024 marriage figures combines national and state tables with historical reports and demographic estimates.
Media Details
Contact Person: Abraham Hart
Company Name: DigiVault LLC
Email: press@weddingtemplates.com
Phone: +1 (719) 408 5086
Website: https://www.weddingtemplates.com/
SOURCE: DigiVault LLC
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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