Wyoming Youngsters Aren’t Afraid to Tie the Knot

Utah takes the cake when it comes to youngsters getting hitched in the United States, but Wyoming follows close behind.

A study funded by attorneys of family law analyzes recent data on marriages and divorces in the U.S. by state and age range.

They concluded that just over 1 in 10 Gen Z are married in Utah. This generation's age range goes from 11 to 26. Wyoming's average is just a bit lower at 9.35%, or a little over nine in 100 young people declaring, "I do."

The findings say Utah is #1 for Millennial marriages with Wyoming in 2nd place as well.

Rounding out the top 10 states with the most common Gen Z marriages include (in this order): Alaska, Idaho, Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Dakota, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Kansas.

On the other end, Rhode Island Z'ers are least likely to make the big commitment, followed by Massachusetts and Connecticut.

In February of 2023, Gov. Gordon signed a law that requires individuals to be at least 18 years old to get married, but with a few exceptions. Wyoming is a state where teens 16 and 17 can get hitched if they have permission from their guardians and a judge, but voids all marriages for anybody under 16. See House Bill No. 7 here.

Some point to Wyoming's values as an explanation for high rates of marriages among young people (not to mention high rates of marriage in general for the Cowboy State). A study done by Standford economists looking at income tax records found that children in smaller cities and towns are more likely to experience what's called "the neighborhood effect," which is a symptom of a community that helps raise the kids who grow up there. Often these places have more churches, lower crime rates, and better schools. The study also suggests that young marriages are much more common in predominantly Republican places than Democratic ones.

Other publications suggest that liberal places tend to value career and personal development over starting a family. The tangle of theories behind why trends point to fewer young liberals getting married certainly deserves more attention than we have room for here.

We will reach out to Wyoming experts for more information and (hopefully) a podcast episode on the horizon. Stay tuned.

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