Couple Joins Ever-Growing Ranks of Older Newlyweds

State and national studies indicate that later-in-life marriages and older people living as couples are becoming more common, reports the Associated Press . Pennsylvania's Department of Health estimated that although marriages in the state decreased slightly over 15 years, the number of people 50 and older who got married rose more than 60 percent in that time period. In Westmoreland County, 1,763 couples got married in 2017, including 201 women and 273 men 50 and older. Allegheny County marriages increased from 6,003 in 2002 to 6,699 in 2017, while the number of women older than 50 who married nearly doubled over that span, from 343 to 636, and the number of men gained more than 60 percent, from 508 to 822. Moreover, studies in 2014 found remarriage was on the rise for Americans 55 and older, and the number of older adults living with an unmarried partner is growing. The Pew Research Center calculated that about two-thirds of previously-married people between 55 and 64 had remarried in 2013, up from 55 percent in 1960. In addition, one-half of people 65 and older had remarried in 2013, versus one-third in 1960. Researchers think a rise in life expectancy may contribute to older adults seeking fulfillment in their senior years.