Census Information Indicates Oklahomans Typically Marry Young

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Census data indicates that the first marriage for Oklahomans typically happens at a younger age than for people from most other states.<br/><br/>In Oklahoma, the median age for men marrying

Friday, November 24th 2006, 8:41 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Census data indicates that the first marriage for Oklahomans typically happens at a younger age than for people from most other states.

In Oklahoma, the median age for men marrying for the first time is 25.6 years old. For Oklahoma women, that age is 23.5. Both figures are among the lowest in the US.

University of Texas professor Norval Glenn, who is a strategic advisor to the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, says Oklahoma's low marrying ages stem from the days when the state was mostly rural.

He also says the state's religious heritage plays a role as well.

Divorce in Oklahoma is high compared with the rest of the nation. According to a 2001 Oklahoma State University study, 1 in 3 Oklahomans has been divorced. The national average is 1 in 5.