New research shows that more adults over 50 are shacking up

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HAMBURG, GERMANY - MAY 03: An elderly couple hold hands at a trade fair at the “Seniorentag 2012” senior citizens convention on May 3, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. The three-day long convention caters specifically to the needs of elderly people, who in Germany, as in the rest of Europe, are becoming an increasingly higher portion of the overall population. Europe as a whole, through its low birth rates and improving health care, is undergoing a demographic shift that has far-reaching consequences for labor markets, public policy planning and government budgets. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images) — An elderly couple hold hands at a trade fair at the “Seniorentag 2012” senior citizens convention on May 3, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany.

Marriage rates might be on the decline, but according to a new Pew Research Center report, the rate of people over 50 cohabiting with unmarried partners has jumped 75 percent from 2007 to 2016.

Over half of these older cohabiters are divorcees, which may be a clue as to why these cohabiters are foregoing marriage. Older partners have plenty of other considerations when making the knot tying decision, from the financial (how marital status might affect taxes or pensions) to the interpersonal (how children and family will react).

If you or someone over age 50 is cohabiting with an unmarried partner, we’d like to hear from you. What is your situation? What were the considerations that went into making the decision to live together sans marriage?

Guest:

Susan L. Brown, professor and chair of sociology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio; one of her research focuses is on older adults and their attitudes toward cohabitation