Married or Single
Comparing the Married and Single Life in Modern American Society
The difference between being “married” and “single” is very important in today’s modern society. Although these are the only two terms defined by the government, there are many more aspects to relationships than just married and single. The US government only recognizes married and single relationships, and does not recognize roommates, domestic partnerships, etc, in their statistics. Even so, the economic differences and similarities between single and married may vary greatly. By definition from the US government the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. So although some states may legalize same sex marriages, the US government does not recognize them as a true marriage. Once a couple is married, they combine their assets and most likely live together. In 2009 the median income of families where both spouses work was about sixty-thousand dollars. In 2010, about 39% of households had two or more income earners. As a result 20% of households have six figure incomes. Clearly marriage has the financial benefits of two incomes rather than just one. By definition “single” is any person that is not legally married. Even if you are in a relationship, have a roommate, or are in a domestic partnership that is not recognized by the government you are considered single. The total number of unmarried people in 2011 is 104,000,000 with 53% being female, and 47% were male. There are about 6.8 million unmarried couples living together. Having a roommate or sharing a house or apartment is common among couples or groups of friends. Although sharing a house or apartment may be financially a good idea, you are still considered single until you are legally married. Over 45% of individuals over the age of 15 have incomes under $25,000, while the top 10% had incomes
The difference between being “married” and “single” is very important in today’s modern society. Although these are the only two terms defined by the government, there are many more aspects to relationships than just married and single. The US government only recognizes married and single relationships, and does not recognize roommates, domestic partnerships, etc, in their statistics. Even so, the economic differences and similarities between single and married may vary greatly. By definition from the US government the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. So although some states may legalize same sex marriages, the US government does not recognize them as a true marriage. Once a couple is married, they combine their assets and most likely live together. In 2009 the median income of families where both spouses work was about sixty-thousand dollars. In 2010, about 39% of households had two or more income earners. As a result 20% of households have six figure incomes. Clearly marriage has the financial benefits of two incomes rather than just one. By definition “single” is any person that is not legally married. Even if you are in a relationship, have a roommate, or are in a domestic partnership that is not recognized by the government you are considered single. The total number of unmarried people in 2011 is 104,000,000 with 53% being female, and 47% were male. There are about 6.8 million unmarried couples living together. Having a roommate or sharing a house or apartment is common among couples or groups of friends. Although sharing a house or apartment may be financially a good idea, you are still considered single until you are legally married. Over 45% of individuals over the age of 15 have incomes under $25,000, while the top 10% had incomes