Nest-Leaving Patterns and the Transition to Marriage for Young Men and Women

Abstract

Young adults have been leaving the parental home at increasingly early ages over the last several decades. They have also been delaying marriage. This article argues that the increase in independent living during young adulthood may have caused some of the delay in marriage, and it examines this question on the basis of data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Young Men and Young Women. It tests the hypotheses that (a) living independently during young adulthood delays marriage; (b) the effects of nonfamily living are smaller for those in group quarters than for others; (c) living away has larger effects if it occurs relatively early in adulthood; and (d) the effects are stronger for women than for men. The results provide some support for these hypotheses, especially among women