Recent Pew Research Center data shows that nearly half of U.S. adults are unmarried鈥撯�揳nd half of that population is not interested in dating. Yet, being in a relationship and, ultimately, a marriage continues to be a societal expectation.
The Pew report sheds light on a shifting narrative, said Peter McGraw, a professor of marketing and psychology at the Leeds School of Business. Culture in America is changing, and the data shows people are less dependent upon partnerships than ever before.听
Still, there remains a social hierarchy based on relationship status.
Peter McGraw, professor of marketing and psychology at the Leeds School of Business
鈥淢y research reveals that a hierarchy based on relationship status can be damaging for people whom partnering isn鈥檛 the right fit,鈥� said McGraw. 鈥淟ife shouldn鈥檛 be seen as better because you partner up, it should just be seen as different.鈥�
McGraw, who is widely known for his research on humor, is one of the first researchers to scientifically examine solos. A bachelor himself, he鈥檚 also become an advocate for living single and living remarkably.
鈥淭here are 128 million unmarried American adults, and 25% of millennials are projected to never marry,鈥� McGraw said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for a new playbook.鈥�
Why we鈥檙e seeing more singles
The single adult population boom isn鈥檛 because people are just anti-marriage, McGraw said. Economic data shows improvements in well-being, such as access to education, increased economic opportunity and a social safety net, are providing more opportunity for Americans to diverge from tradition.
The trend is seen even in those who do ultimately choose marriage: U.S. Census Bureau data shows the average age for first marriage in 2020 was 30 for men and 28 for women, up markedly from 2000 when men typically married at 27 and women at 25. The average age of first marriage has been steadily increasing for both genders since 1970.
鈥淲hat this suggests is people are able to act more on their own desires, wants, needs and goals,鈥� McGraw said. 鈥淪ome people see the decline of marriage to be associated with the decline of society, but I see the opposite.鈥�
Yet challenges of living solo still persist, , who make up a disproportionate share of the single population in the U.S.
One of the largest challenges is access to housing. A is 5.5 million housing units short of what鈥檚 needed to house the population. Housing prices have also increased exponentially, especially since the start of the pandemic鈥撯�搕he Federal Housing Finance Agency reports home prices increased 17.4% between the second quarter 2020 and second quarter 2021.
The increase in home price coupled with the lack of inventory doesn鈥檛 bode well for single people, McGraw said.
鈥淗alf of the adult U.S. population is single, living on one income, yet buying a house today is really designed for a two-income family,鈥� McGraw said. 鈥淩esidential zoning still prioritizes single-family homes, which are quite expensive, as opposed to housing geared toward听singles鈥撯�搇ike condos and shared living spaces that lower cost and create a sense of community.鈥�
Singles are also more focused on pets as partners or being able to travel frequently鈥撯�揵oth of which challenge the architecture of a traditional work environment, McGraw said.听
A Single Insight
Focus on partnerships is a fabric of our being, woven into the corners of daily life we don鈥檛 even recognize: the two front seats in a car, family discounts at the gym, meal kits designed for couples and families, tables at restaurants almost always arranged to seat at least two people.听
It鈥檚 these characteristics of society that contribute to how we look at singles, McGraw said. He argues businesses can help break down these barriers by focusing more attention on the single population.
鈥淎 lot of businesses are competing over the same types of people because they have the wrong assumptions about what these people need,鈥� McGraw said. 鈥淭hey're trying to find markets that are underserved but are overlooking the 128 million people that make up the single market.鈥�
McGraw has launched a new project called aimed at helping businesses recognize solos in the marketplace and adjust their tactics to better serve this population.
鈥淪erving solos requires different perspectives,鈥� McGraw said. 鈥淪olos have more discretion over how and what they spend their money on. They鈥檙e more mobile in how they live and work and what they do for fun.鈥�
