{"id":2651955,"date":"2026-08-30T12:36:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T16:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marriages-are-largely-happening-in-middle-america-and-not-in-urban-centers-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T12:45:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T16:45:31","slug":"marriages-are-largely-happening-in-middle-america-and-not-in-urban-centers-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marriages-are-largely-happening-in-middle-america-and-not-in-urban-centers-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Marriages Are Largely Happening in Middle America and Not in Urban Centers, Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmarriages-are-largely-happening-in-middle-america-and-not-in-urban-centers-study-finds%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2651955&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >content discusses recent findings related<\/a> too marriage trends among young adults in the United States. Despite a continued strong desire for marriage, the countryS marriage rate remains low, similar to levels seen in 2019. A study by the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) highlights that the highest concentrations of unmarried young adults are in urban areas like Cleveland,Detroit,Philadelphia,Chicago,and washington,D.C., while the most new marriages occur in regions in middle America, such as Provo, Utah; Fort Wayne and Evansville, Indiana; Colorado Springs, Colorado; parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. The analysis emphasizes that areas with higher ratios of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-blames-cyberattack-for-widespread-disruption-at-gas-stations\/\" title=\"Iran Blames Cyberattack for Widespread Disruption at Gas Stations\">employed young men<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/while-everyone-else-is-kicking-themselves-for-voting-for-biden-college-educated-women-are-doubling-down\/\" title=\"While Everyone Else Is Kicking Themselves For Voting For Biden, College...Educated Women Are Doubling Down\">single women tend<\/a> to have higher marriage rates, with North Dakota and san Jose showing particularly strong figures. Additionally, religious engagement significantly correlates with higher marriage rates, with places like utah County and Lakewood, New Jersey, being notable examples due to their populations of Mormons and Orthodox Jews, respectively.The report underscores that having a stable full-time job and religious commitment are key factors influencing marriage. As religious participation and employment among young men decline, so do marriage rates, contributing to overall unhappiness among Americans, as married individuals tend to report higher well-being. the IFS encourages resources such as their marriage map to help young adults find opportunities for employment and matrimony, highlighting that marriage is closely linked to happiness more so than employment alone.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>With the marriage rate in America still hovering near an all<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/consumer-sentiment-at-its-second-worst-ever-this-month\/\" title=\"Consumer Sentiment at Its Second Worst Ever This Month\">-time low reached<\/a> in 2019, despite polls consistently showing that the desire for marriage remains strong for young adults, a new study has highlighted the areas of the U.S. that have the most single young adults and which areas are producing the most marriages.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/blog\/where-to-find-a-spouse-marriage-map-pinpoints-the-best-areas-\">report<\/a>, published by the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) last week, found that the largest  of unmarried young adults in their 20s and 30s are in urban centers like Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. However, \u201cThe areas with the most new marriages are almost entirely in middle America,\u201d the researchers found. These areas included Provo, Utah; Fort Wayne and Evansville, Indiana; and Colorado Springs, Colorado as well as west\/central Tennessee, northwest Georgia, and North Carolina\u2019s Greenville\/Jacksonville corridor.<\/p>\n<p>The analysis further found that areas with the highest ratios of young men with stable full-time employment to single women tended to have the highest marriage rates. IFS noted that North Dakota and the San Jose, California area had the highest ratios, with \u201cmarriage rates in the upper 20%.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>IFS Senior Fellow and Director of Research Wendy Wang, who authored the report along with IFS Research Fellow Ken Burchfiel and IFS Senior Fellow and University of Virginia Professor Brad Wilcox, noted that a full-time job \u201cis the strongest factor that is related to the marriage rate,\u201d as she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ufwb66Ta6iM\">observed<\/a> during \u201cWashington Watch\u201d Monday. \u201cWhere the most singles are actually is not where the marriages are happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another key factor in marriage that the data analysis uncovered is religious affiliation. As <a href=\"https:\/\/ifstudies.org\/blog\/marriage-is-increasingly-an-institution-of-the-highly-religious-why-that-might-be-a-problem\">previous studies<\/a> have shown, those who are active religious practitioners have the highest rates of marriage, and the new IFS report only confirms this.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[I]f you look at where the  of the married young adults [is] highest, the top area is Utah County, Utah, where we know there\u2019s a lot of Mormons,\u201d Wang pointed out. \u201c[A]nother area that\u2019s in Lakewood, New Jersey [is] where you find the largest [concentration of] Orthodox Jews. \u2026 [I]n general, from our study, we find that people who are religious are more likely to be married and more likely to have children, so the data at the geographic level match that story as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As religious affiliation and practice have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/religion\/2025\/02\/26\/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off\/\">dwindled<\/a> in the U.S., along with the rate of <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/17\/business\/male-gen-zers-are-dropping-out-of-the-us-job-market-in-droves\/\">fully-employed young men<\/a>, so too has the rate of marriage. This is arguably a significant factor in why Americans are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecommongoodus.org\/americas-report-card-happiness\">unhappier than ever<\/a>, since those who are married report being happier and thriving at far higher rates than those who are not.<\/p>\n<p>This is especially tragic because, as numerous studies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barna.com\/trends\/marriage-divorce-trends-2025\/\">have found<\/a>, the percentage of Americans who desire marriage is significantly higher than the percentage who are actually married. IFS is hoping that resources like their <a href=\"https:\/\/gogetmarried.org\/\">marriage map<\/a> can help young adults fulfill their desire for matrimony.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[W]e know that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lifes-tough-get-a-helmet-man\/\" title=\"Life is challenging. Wear a helmet, dude.\">young adults today<\/a> value jobs, value employment a lot. But our studies show that having a good job is actually not as important to happiness as being married,\u201d Wang underscored. \u201cSo we encourage young adults \u2014 if you can relocate to a place to find a job and you can relocate to a place to find a spouse, because being married is the most important factor of being happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><em>Dan Hart is senior editor at The Washington Stand.<\/em><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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