What’s the ideal age to reach a life milestone? Many Americans say it depends
What do you consider a life milestone?
Maybe it’s buying a home, starting a family or finally finishing that manuscript you’ve been working on.
A new survey from the Pew Research Center released Wednesday sought to find out what Americans think are the ideal times for some of those traditional milestones to take place. Spoiler alert: it depends!
Three things to know:
- In April of last year, Pew asked 3,600 U.S. adults what they would consider to be the ideal ages for getting married, having a first child, buying a home and retiring.
- On average, the people surveyed say that the best age to get married is 26.5; the best age to become a parent is 27.3; the best age to purchase a home is 28.8; and the best age to retire is 61.8.
- But! A significant portion of each group also said that there was actually no ideal age for any of these milestones. Half of respondents said there’s no best age to get married or purchase a home; four in 10 said there was no best age to have children; and a third said there was no ideal retirement age.
From the White House to your home — get political news and analysis that matters sent straight to your inbox, with the NPR Politics newsletter.
A shift from previous generations
These averages are reflective of a larger cultural trend among younger Americans — they’re hitting these milestones later in life than previous generations, according to a Pew analysis from 2023.
The study, which looked at Census Bureau data, showed that adults under 21 were hitting major life milestones later than adults from 40 years prior.
That tracks with the most recent census data, which says the median age for first-time marriage in 2024 was 30.2 years for men and 28.6 years for women. In 1974, those respective ages were 23.1 and 21.1.
Dive deeper with NPR:
- Homeownership is more complicated than ever. Read about how young homebuyers are being forced to compete with investors.
- From A to Zika, get the latest global health and development news, sent weekly to your inbox, with the Goats and Soda newsletter.
Trump adds $100,000 fee for high-skilled foreign workers in major visa overhaul
The president signed executive orders that would charge companies $100,000 a year to hire a worker on an H1-B visa and allow wealthy foreigners to get a visa for $1,000,000.
Ted Cruz claims without evidence that China is funding U.S. climate lawsuits
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has said China is funding climate lawsuits against American oil and gas companies to weaken the U.S. He hasn't provided evidence to support the claim.
RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel backs away from asking states to require an Rx for a COVID shot
The group voted to require people who want a COVID shot to be briefed on harms and benefits, but in a close vote, the panel failed to pass a change that would have asked states to require people to get a prescription.
The Census Bureau is now headed by a Trump official in an acting position
George Cook is the Trump administration's new acting director of the Census Bureau, which has been thrust into the middle of a renewed attempt by President Trump to alter the national head count.
Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension shows power of FCC’s Brendan Carr
In the eight months since becoming chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr has waged war against the free speech of those who have reported on, criticized, or satirized the president.
What to know about Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow and Turning Point USA’s new CEO
Erika Kirk, 36, has a devotional podcast and Christian clothing line. She has vowed to continue her late husband's work.
