Who's Marrying Who?: A Look at Michigan Marriages

Nearly everyone in the U.S. marries and marries often, however approximately 50% of these marriages, and 60% of remarriages, are likely to end in divorce. Consequently, family professionals, practitioners, and policymakers are in need of knowing who is marrying whom in Michigan, and what can be done to strengthen these relationships. This study examines marriage license data from 2009 – 2013 taken form the Michigan Department of Vital Statistics. The specific research questions are: How many individuals are marrying in Michigan? What are the gender and age differences of those who marry? and Who is marrying who based on the number of times individuals marry? Selected findings include: one third of all marriages in Michigan are remarriages; between 2009 - 2013, 22 individuals married for the seventh or more time in their lifetime. Implications from this study will provide suggestions for relationship education to Michigan’s marrying couples.