Who Are Singles? 8 Types of Singles in Your Community
Singles are not just in your community; they are your community. At Table for One Ministies, we advocate for singles and build community for single adults through discipleship. Singles are unique. To understand singles, you first have to see them. Singles come from many backgrounds; most would even prefer not to use the word single to describe themselves. There are 8 types of single adults in America, and defining them is the first step in seeing them.
- 53% of all adults in America are single
- 62% of all singles in America have never been married
- 25 years old is the average age for a college student
- The average age for marriage is 30 for men and 28 for women
- 45% of all first time marriages now end in divorce
- 4 out of 10 families are single parent households
- 57 years old is the average for a widow
- Nearly 20% of gen z struggles with sexual identity
- More stats at tfoministries.org
Single Adult Statistics in America
Collegiate Singles
Adults 18-22 who are single
College is no longer a term we can solely use to describe 18-22 year old adults. The average age for a full time college student is 25, 71% work while attending college, and 1/3 will never graduate college after starting.
Singles Never Married
Adults 22+ never married.
All types of singles except collegiate all to all ages. Singles never married make up the majority of singles in your community at 63% of all singles. They may or may not be looking to date, so never assume their desires for marriage.
Dating Singles
Singles who are actively looking to date.
58% of singles say they want to be married “someday.” Still, they do not like outside pressure to marry, as dating is more complicated than ever. Dating singles have endless ways to connect to new possible mates; however, community is still the number one way they find their spouse in person.
Dating Singles
Singles who are actively looking to date.
58% of singles say they want to be married “someday.” Still, they do not like outside pressure to marry, as dating is more complicated than ever. Dating singles have endless ways to connect to new possible mates; however, community is still the number one way they find their spouse in person.
Single Adult Statistics in America
Divorced Singles
Singles who were married and legally divorced.
With 45% of all marriages ending in divorce, the average age for a divorce is not 30 years old. On average divorced singles who remarry will do so in 3 years. The primary issue for divorce is happiness and finances.
Single Parents
Parents of children who are not married.
This includes single parents who divorced, were widowed, chose to adopt, or had a child out of marriage. Never assume how a single parent became a single parent. 40% of all families are single parent households, the largest in America’s history and rising.
Widows
Singles who were married when their spouse passed.
Tragedy happens, and widows are of all ages. The average age of a widow at 57%, and on average, will spend 14 years alone. They want to remember their spouse and learn to be single again.
Same-Sex Attraction
LGBTQ+ Singles
Among LGBTQ+ adults who say they are religious, more than 3 in 4 (77%) identify as a Christian, including 28% who are Protestants.
Single Adult Statistics in America
Seeing singles and not assuming who singles are will help you connect to single adults. Our desire at Table for One Ministries is to assist you in any way we can in that journey. We believe in the local church and equip local churches through conferences, coaching, speaking, resources, and Bible studies for singles.
