“Everything's There Except Money”: How Money Shapes Decisions to Marry Among Cohabitors

TLDR

Cohabitation is now the modal path to marriage in the United States. This study explores how economics shape marital decision making among cohabitors from the working and lower middle classes using data from 115 in‑depth interviews. The authors analyze those 115 interviews to examine how economic factors influence the decision to marry. The study finds that cohabitors view financial issues as crucial for marriage, believe marriage should follow a change in financial status, and suggests that discussions of financial barriers to marriage should extend beyond poor unmarried parents.

Abstract

Cohabitation is now the modal path to marriage in the United States. Drawing on data from 115 in‐depth interviews with cohabitors from the working and lower middle classes, this paper explores how economics shape marital decision making. We find that cohabitors typically perceive financial issues as important for marriage, and we delineate several key themes. Whereas some social scientists speculate that cohabitors must think that marriage will change their lives in order to motivate marriage, our findings suggest that cohabitors believe marriage should occur once something has already changed—in this case, their financial status. Our results also imply that political and scientific discourse on financial problems as deterrents to marriage should be broadened beyond a focus on poor unmarried parents.