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Highlights
- There were 48,381 marriages performed in the state in 1997.
- The marriage rate per 1,000 population was 8.7. The rate per 1,000 population age 15 and
older was 11.2. The rate per 1,000 unmarried population age 15 and older was 27.1.
- Steuben County (52.1), LaGrange County (50.4), and Scott County (44.9) had the highest
rates per 1,000 unmarried population age 15 and older.
- The most frequent months for marriages were June, August, and May.
- More marriages occurred on Saturday (58.1%) than on any other day of the week. However,
civil marriages were more likely to occur on Friday, while religious marriages were more
likely to occur on Saturday.
- Almost 95% of the brides were residents of Indiana and 92% of the grooms were residents
of Indiana. For 90.7% of the marriages, both the bride and groom were Indiana residents.
For another 5.5% of marriages, either the bride or groom was a resident of Indiana.
Neither the bride nor the groom was a resident for 3.1% of the marriages that occurred in
Indiana.
- In 88.9% of marriages, both the bride and groom were white. In 6.0% of the marriages,
both the bride and the groom were black. Only 2.0% of marriages were interracial
(white/black). In the remaining 3.9%, the race of the bride or groom was other or unknown.
- Only 48% of marriages were first marriages for both the bride and the groom.
Approximately 25% of marriages were subsequent to a divorce for both the bride and the
groom. In another 25% of marriages, one or the other participant had been previously
divorced. In 5% of marriages, the bride, the groom, or both had been previously widowed.
- Almost 12% of marriages were second marriages for both the bride and the groom; 7.5%
were first marriages for the bride, and second marriages for the groom; 8.2% were first
marriages for the groom, and second marriages for the bride.
- In 46% of marriages, the bride and the groom were in the same education level category.
In 24% of the marriages, the bride was in a higher education level category than the
groom. In 21% of marriages, the groom was in a higher education level category than the
bride.
- Approximately 25% of grooms and 30% of brides married between the ages of 20 and 24.
- For over 50% of marriages, brides or grooms were between the ages of 20 and 29. In 38%
of marriages, both the bride and the groom were between 20 and 29 years of age.
- Marriage rates per 1,000 unmarried population were highest for brides and grooms age
25-29.
- The average age at marriage for brides and grooms who had never been married before was
24.2 and 26.1 years, respectively.
- The average age at marriage for brides and grooms who had been previously divorced was
36.2 and 39.0 years, respectively.
- The average age at marriage for brides and grooms who had been widowed was 54.9 and 61.7
years, respectively.
- Divorced and never married white brides and grooms married, on the average, 3 to 4 years
younger than divorced and never married black brides and grooms. Previously widowed white
brides and grooms married, on the average, 4 years older than previously widowed black
brides and grooms.
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Back To 1997 Marriage Report