A Demographic, Attitudinal, and Behavioral Profile of Cohabiting Adults in the United States, 2011-2015.

This report provides a profile of sexually experienced, cohabiting adults aged 18-44 in the United States based on 2011-2015 data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Additionally, this report compares these cohabiting adults with those sexually experienced adults who are currently married and those who are unmarried and not currently cohabiting. Data are shown by selected demographic characteristics, attitudes, and family formation behaviors. NSFG data used in this report were collected through in-person interviews from September 2011 through September 2015 with nationally representative samples of 6,674 men and 8,292 women aged 18-44 who were sexually experienced. The overall response rate for the 2011-2015 NSFG was 71%: 72% for women and 70% for men.Overall, 17.1% of women and 15.9% of men aged 18-44 who were sexually experienced were cohabiting at the time of interview. Compared with those who were married or unmarried and not cohabiting, cohabiting women and men were more likely to have no high school diploma or GED. Both cohabiters and unmarried, noncohabiting individuals reported lower household incomes than married persons. Cohabiting women and men were more supportive of premarital cohabitation, the idea that living together before marriage may help prevent divorce, and of raising children in cohabiting unions, compared with married and unmarried, noncohabiting adults. Cohabiting individuals were more likely to report having had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 18 and having cohabited two or more times in the pastthan both married and unmarried, noncohabiting individuals. They were also more likely than married men and women to have had an unintended birth.