Force of Attraction and Partner Availability in the U.S. Marriage Market: A Two-Sided Matching Model
Published in Sociological Science, 2026
We develop a stochastic two-sided matching model analyzing U.S. marriage patterns using American Community Survey data from 2010 and 2019. Our approach distinguishes between two key factors driving changes in marriage patterns: individuals’ preferences for partner characteristics and the numbers and composition of potential partners. The model provides a flexible and unified analytical framework for marriage research.
Recommended citation: Cheng, Y., Dagsvik, J. K., Han, X. and Jia, Z. (2026) Force of Attraction and Partner Availability in the U.S. Marriage Market: A Two-Sided Matching Model, Sociological Science, 13, 178-215. https://doi.org/10.15195/v13.a8
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