Beyond Education, Age, and Race: Assortative Mating by Place

Hao-Chun Cheng , University of Maryland
Joan R. Kahn, University of Maryland

Many studies have found that assortative mating in different social dimensions, such as age, education, and race. No one, however, explores the importance of assortative mating by place. The present study uses 2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data and "gains to marriage” model to explore the pattern of assortative mating by place. In addition, we use a series of logistic models to examine the impacts of other dimensions of matching (i.e., age, race, education) and socioeconomic and demographic variables on assortative mating by place. The finding indicates that there is a clear pattern of homogeneous matching by Census regions and divisions, and it also suggests that the larger the distance between regions is, the smaller the possibilities of matching will be. Furthermore, Homogeneous matching by place cannot be explained by other dimensions of matching. The findings point out the importance of “place” in the process of matching.

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 Presented in Session 9. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions; Gender, Race, & Ethnicity