Unmarried America The U.S. Census Bureau's latest numbers show that married-couple households have slipped from nearly 80 percent in the 1950s to just 52 percent today. As a result, the U.S.’s 96 million single and unmarrieds now make up one of the most potent consumer groups on record. The Census Bureau recently released figures to help mark National Unmarried and Single Americans Week, September 19-25, 2004. Originally called National Singles Week when it was started in the 1980s to celebrate single life, the week was renamed because many unmarried Americans do not do not identify with the word “single” because they are parents, have partners or are widowed, the Bureau said. Among the statistics: • If you’re looking for a guy, go to Alaska. There are 114 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women, the highest ratio of men to women among all states. • Or take a trip to Paradise. There are 118 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women in Paradise, Nev., an unincorporated suburb of Las Vegas. This is one of the highest ratios of any place with 100,000 or more people. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Tempe, Ariz.; and Sunnyvale and Santa Ana, Calif., follow. • It’s a man’s (dating) world. There are 86 unmarried men age 15 and over for every 100 unmarried women in the United States. And 54 percent of unmarried and single Americans are women. • 50 percent of adults in New York are unmarried, the highest rate of any state. • 63 percent of unmarried of single Americans have never married. Another 23 percent are divorced, and 14 percent are widowed. • Looking to mingle with formerly marrieds? Some 27 percent (widowed, separated or divorced) live in Hollywood, Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Gary, Ind. These cities are among cities of 100,000 or more residents with the highest rates of formerly married people. •52.6 million households are maintained by unmarried men and women. These households comprise 48 percent of households nationwide. • 28.8 million live alone. These one-person households comprise 26 percent of all U.S. households. • But there are 5.5 million unmarried couple households. These households consist of 4.9 million opposite-sex partners and about 600,000 partners of the same sex. This is up from 3.2 million in 1990. • The highest number of opposite-sex, unmarried partner households? Paterson, N.J., Manchester, N.H. and Rochester, N.Y., had the highest rates—8.1 percent— of this type of household in the country among cities with 100,000 or more people. Cities with the highest percentage of same-sex, unmarried partner households are San Francisco (2.7 percent), Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (2.1 percent); and Seattle, Wash. (1.9 percent). from: LoveMagazine.com ------------------------ One Statistic they couldn’t mention was the ratio of Singles to “One Loving, and Absolutely Merciful God”… But that would be 1:1, wouldn’t it? “Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the Only wise God: Be Honor, Glory, Forever and ever. Amen!” There’s a “marriage made in Heaven” that will never end! God bless you! Keep your chins up (so that your eyes can keep looking to Heaven)!