Valentine's Day by the Numbers

The good folks at the Census Bureau celebrate Valentine's Day a little different from most of us -- they quantify it. So, for instance, in their Valentine's Day Facts for Features press release, they give us numbers on the size of the flower, chocolate and jewelry business in America (millions upon millions). But they also quantify singleness, marriage and the growth of dating services. Check out some of their highlights:

2.2 million
The number of marriages that take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/nvsr/54/54-20.htm>

25.3 and 27.1
The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men, respectively, in 2005. The age for women rose 4.2 years in the last three decades. The age for men at first marriage is up 3.6 years. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

57% and 60%
The percentages of American women and men, respectively, who are 18 or older and currently married (includes those who are separated). <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2005.html>

72%
Percentage of men and women ages 30 to 34 in 2005 who had been married at some point in their lives -– either currently or formerly.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/006840.html>

119
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages.
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2005.html>

34
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same ages.
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2005.html>

904
The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues. <http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/SUBSUMM.HTM>

Post a comment*

*Comments are moderated, and will not appear on The Line until we've approved them. Usually you'll see your comment published in under an hour, but it may take up to a day or so during evenings or over the weekend. While we are eager to facilitate civil conversation by publishing most comments, we're inclined not to publish those that strike us as offensive, vulgar, overly personal, cynical, snarky, deceptive, disrespectful, irrelevant, redundant or unnecessarily contentious.

Name: (consider using your real name)

Email Address: (won't be published; must be valid)

Remember personal info?

Comments:

2.2 million
The number of marriages that take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/nvsr/54/54-20.htm>

25.3 and 27.1
The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women and men, respectively, in 2005. The age for women rose 4.2 years in the last three decades. The age for men at first marriage is up 3.6 years. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

57% and 60%
The percentages of American women and men, respectively, who are 18 or older and currently married (includes those who are separated). <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2005.html>

72%
Percentage of men and women ages 30 to 34 in 2005 who had been married at some point in their lives -– either currently or formerly.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/006840.html>

119
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages.
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2005.html>

34
Number of single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same ages.
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2005.html>

904
The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues. <http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/SUBSUMM.HTM>

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

1. Mike Theemling said the following at 2:26 PM on Feb 12:

I found an amusing story regarding "anti-Valentine's Day" cards and products

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17011635/

Some of funnier captions:

"Valentine’s Day: Depressing geeks since 496 A.D."

(on the outside of the card): "We’re both looking for the same thing..."
(on the inside): "Someone else"

And one of my own creation:

(outside): "304 dating websites, 107 mixers, and 22 setups from friends prove one thing..."
(inside): "1,425 women can be wrong"

2. Emma said the following at 2:30 PM on Feb 12:

904 dating agencies -- what a testatment to how lonely people are in our world ... and, how innate the need for companionship in marriage is, no matter what pop culture and the liberal media claim.

3. Jonathan from Canada said the following at 5:18 PM on Feb 12:

2.2 million
The number of marriages that take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day.

Hahaha! Did anyone else notice the link for that factoid comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

4. Captain Sensible said the following at 6:33 PM on Feb 12:

"(How)innate the need for companionship in marriage is, no matter what pop culture and the liberal media claim."

Er, dare I add no matter what the contemporary church is largely teaching too? (ie. singleness and marriage are both equal "gifts" and really, it shouldn't matter to you which "gift" you get; "Jesus is all you need"; "be content"...)