A Visualization of U.S. Couples’ Money Arrangements

Abstract

Using newly available nationally representative U.S. data from the National Couples’ Health and Time Study, this visualization presents 2020–2021 estimates of couples’ ( n = 3,396) money arrangements by marital and parental status, by age group, and for different-gender and same-gender couples. It shows that cohabiting couples continue to be much less likely than married couples to pool all their money, and the gap is apparent across key demographic characteristics. Among married couples, 66 percent of different-gender couples put all their money together, compared with 45 percent of women partnered with women and 50 percent of men partnered with men. Young couples are as likely as older couples to put all money together when legally married.