IL Residents Among Least Likely To Marry In U.S.: Ranking

ILLINOIS — Illinoisans are less likely to marry than most in the U.S., according to a recent study.

Law firm Schmidt & Clark analyzed results from the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau examining the marital history of people ages 15 and older to find the percentage that had never married and how many times those who did marry tied the knot.

The Prairie State came in eighth on the list of states where residents are least likely to marry, with 35.88 percent of its population of roughly 10.4 million people over 15 having never married. However, of the about 6.7 million people in the state who did marry, 79.8 percent of them had married only once, making Illinois the state with the 10th highest percentage of one-time spouses.

New York residents were the most likely to stay single, with 38.61 percent never having married, followed by Rhode Island, where 38.06 percent never married, and California, where 37.76 percent hadn’t wed.

“It is interesting to find that states like New York and California are among those least likely to get married whilst also being among the most populated states in the country,” a Schmidt & Clark spokesperson said in a news release about the findings.

“Classically known for their wealth of opportunities for flourishing careers in international sectors and their cosmopolitan, diverse cities, perhaps residents are more enticed by personal pursuits than ‘settling down’ in the traditional sense.”

People were most likely to marry in Wyoming, where 72.25 percent of those 15 and older had married at least once. Arkansas led the study in repeat marraiges, as 23.83 percent of people in the state who had been married had done so twice and 10.86 percent had married three or more times.