The 2000 Indiana Marriage Report provides a summary of information about all of the marriages that occurred in the state during 2000. The information provided in this report is intended for professionals, students, legislators, and others interested in information on marriages that occurred in Indiana.
Information about marriages is tabulated by place of occurrence rather than place of residence, as is the case for most other vital events (births, deaths, etc.). This difference is a consequence of the fact that marriages involve two individuals who often reside in different states or counties. In the table under place of residence, the number of marriages that involved out-of-state residents is specified.
In Indiana, the minimum age for marriage is 18. Exceptions to this minimum age are provided for those under age 18 if court approval and/or parental consent are obtained.
Counts and marriage rates are provided for Indiana and each of the 92 counties. Rates are expressed as the number of marriages per 1,000 population in specified state, county, and/or marital status categories. High county marriage rates mean an unusually high number of marriages for the size of the county population. These high rates are most likely a result of nonresident marriages rather than inherent differences in the marrying behavior among residents of different counties.
Information is also provided on a number of characteristics of the marriage (month of occurrence, day of occurrence, and ceremony type) as well as characteristics of both the bride and the groom (age, education level, race, place of residence, previous marital status, and number of marriages).