Detroit Ranks Highest for Never-Married Residents
A SmartAsset study ranks Detroit first among large U.S. cities for the share of residents aged 15 and older who have never married.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Romance
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Detroit has the highest share of never-married residents aged 15 and older among U.S. cities with at least 100,000 people, at 57.4%, according to a SmartAsset study. Boston ranked second with about 56.6%, while the study used 2024 Census Bureau American Community Survey data.
Why it matters
The shift in marital status could affect how businesses in Detroit tailor their services and products to a population where unmarried residents outnumber married ones. Rising living and wedding costs in metro Detroit are cited as factors that may be shaping these trends.
About 23.0% of Detroit adults are married and 10.8% are divorced, based on the same Census survey data used in the ranking. Among Michigan men aged 25 to 34, about 64% have not married, while 67% of young adults in Wayne County have never married.
The players
SmartAsset
SmartAsset is a personal finance technology company that publishes consumer research and rankings.
U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau is the federal agency that collects and publishes national population and demographic statistics, including the American Community Survey.
The details
SmartAsset ranked cities with at least 100,000 residents using 2024 Census Bureau data. Single people in metro Detroit spend nearly $11,000 more each year on living costs than a two-income household, according to BridgeDetroit citing MIT's Living Wage Calculator, and the average Michigan wedding cost $25,000 in 2021.
Timeline
2021: Average Michigan wedding cost reached $25,000.
2024: Census American Community Survey data year used in the ranking; 30% of Michiganders aged 25 to 29 had ever married.
Romance Landscape
The U.S. marriage rate was 16.6 per Census Bureau data in 2012 and reached 16.7 in 2022, a relatively flat national trend. Detroit's 57.4% never-married share stands in sharp contrast to that stability, suggesting a local pattern distinct from national averages.
Single Detroit residents may face roughly $11,000 more in annual living costs than a two-income household, according to BridgeDetroit citing MIT's Living Wage Calculator. Residents planning a wedding should note the average Michigan cost reached $25,000 in 2021.
The takeaway
Marital status patterns vary sharply by city, so cost of living and local demographics may matter as much as personal choice when considering relationship and financial planning in Detroit. Readers in similar metros can compare their own Census-based figures to understand local trends.
Further reading
For more on how these trends affect dating and partnerships, explore the Romance section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 94.7 WCSX.
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