Living out your golden years with your marital partner was once an all too common goal. However, census data from 2022 paints a much different and surprising picture. Close to 38 million adults are living alone, reaching record numbers of single-person households. Additionally, nearly 16 million people in the 65 and older demographic live alone, three times higher than baby boomers in the 1960s.
Multiple reasons for the shift
Various factors play a role. One prominent theory involves women entering the workforce at significant levels, achieving economic advantages once not seen. As time went on, attitudes toward marriage also began to shift. Decades after they decided to marry, adults 50 and older are now divorcing in record numbers, accounting for one-third of all marital dissolutions.
High-profile celebrity divorces are also occurring with the rich and famous in their fifties. Bill and Melinda Gates are the latest example of pulling the marital plug late in life. Whether it’s the rich and famous or the couple down the street, the gray divorce phenomenon is significantly increasing as overall divorce rates are in decline.
While the divorce rate is rising for adults over 65, divorce demographics have remained consistent at 28 percent over many years. An even split exists for those who choose to remarry or live together as opposed to those who choose to reside in their homes alone. A significant number of Baby Boomers from 59 to 77 are deciding to go on their own. The number continues to grow with few signs of slowing.
Gray divorce continues its growth in prominence. Regardless of the stage in life, ending a marriage can be a traumatic experience that may require the help of a skilled family law attorney.
