Far from Alone: Being single (never married, widowed, or divorced) in America
Whether you are single by choice or by circumstance, you may feel like you are swimming alone in a sea of the 135.9 million adults that make up U.S. married couples. But people sailing solo these days actually make up nearly 50% of the population of the United States. Surprised? That’s 130.3 million single adults, according to a recent press release by the US Census Bureau (2/15/23).
Let’s bring that number a little closer to home, shall we? 130.3 million people is a wee bit more than the number of people living in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio combined. Oh, and then doubled!
Sheds a little different light on things, doesn’t it? If you are single and thought this made you dramatically different from others, I hope it brings you peace of mind to find out you are in great company!
You may even want to plan ahead for a celebration of National Singles Day which this year falls on Saturday, September 23, 2023. It is always held on the last day of Unmarried and Single Americans Week, which is recognized annually during the third week of September. (Trivia note: This event was started in the Midwest in the ‘80’s by the Buckeye Singles Council of Columbus, Ohio.)
Let’s see what else can our federal number crunchers can tell us….
The number of never-married men and women has been generally trending upward since the 1950’s.
When we look at all singles (never married, divorced, widowed), there are a variety of living arrangements:
14.9% live by themselves
12.4% live with an adult relative
11.0% have a child living with them or away at college
8.2% live with partner
3.4% live with an unrelated roommate
Just like married people, singles can face challenges in their relationships with others—whether that be with roommates, extended family members, at the workplace, friendships, or looking to make connections with friends or romantically.
If those challenges become difficult, individual therapy can be of help. If this sounds like something you may find helpful, reach out to schedule by calling me at 319-290-0106 or through the encrypted contact form on my website, laurenholstplc.com. If you like, I offer a free 20-minute consultation to help you determine if we’d be a good fit for working together. My services are confidential (of course!) and conveniently provided thru HIPAA-secure teletherapy.
Statistics for this blog posting courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about mental health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.