Serial Cohabitation in Young Adulthood: Baby Boomers to Millennials

Abstract

The age at first marriage in the U.S. has consistently increased, while the age at cohabitation has stalled. These trends present an opportunity for serial cohabitation (multiple cohabiting unions). The authors argue that serial cohabitation must be measured among those at risk, who have ended their first cohabiting union. Drawing on data from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6 (2002), and continuous 2006-2013 interview cycles, the authors find that serial cohabitation is increasing among women at risk. Millennials, born 1980-1984, had 50% higher rates of cohabiting twice or more after dissolving their first cohabitation. This increase, however, is not driven by the composition of Millennials at risk for serial cohabitation. This work demonstrates the importance of clearly defining who is at risk for serial cohabitation when reporting estimates, as well as continuing to examine how the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and serial cohabitation may shift over time.

Keywords: Cohabitation; cohort; coresidence; life course; social trends/social change.

Figure 1.

Pathway Into Premarital Serial Cohabitation During Young Adulthood (Ages 16–28).

Figure 2.. Women’s Entry Into Second Cohabitation Following Dissolution (Ages 16–28) (N = 2,425).

Source: 2002, 2006–2010, and 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth