When it comes to the relations between the sexes in America, a lot has changed since the 1960s. But at least one thing has not: the vast majority of women still prefer to marry a man who is a decent breadwinner.
Unfortunately, a growing share of men without college degrees no longer meet this bar. With few “marriageable” men employed in the kinds of decent-paying occupations that make them attractive as potential husbands, marriage has slipped out of reach for far too many poor and working-class Americans.
Maria Baer, Brad Wilcox, Deseret News
Dillon Burroughs, The Christian Post
Who Cheats More? The Demographics of Infidelity in America
Slow But Sure: Does the Timing of Sex During Dating Matter?
Male Sexlessness is Rising But Not for the Reasons Incels Claim
Counterintuitive Trends in the Link Between Premarital Sex and Marital Stability
The U.S. Divorce Rate Has Hit a 50-Year Low
Weekly roundup of research, commentary, and insights changing the national conversation on the family.
P.O. Box 1502 Charlottesville, VA 22902
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
Before you go, consider subscribing to our weekly emails so we can keep you updated with latest insights, articles, and reports.
Before you go, consider subscribing to IFS so we can keep you updated with news, articles, and reports.
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest from our research and articles.