Study Shows Ideal Ages for Life Milestones

NEW YORK – Young adults in the United States are reaching family and financial milestones later in life than they were 40 years ago. That begs the question: What are the best ages to reach these milestones?

The Pew Research Center asked 3,600 U.S. adults what they think is the best age to get married, have their first child, buy a home and retire. Anywhere from about a third to half of Americans say there is no best age to achieve these milestones. Among those who say there is a best age, many say it's ideal to get married, have a child and buy a home between the ages of 25 and 34. And 45% of Americans say the best age to retire is in one's 60s.

The ideal timing that U.S. adults give for life events differs based on demographic factors such as age, income, political party and the importance of religion in their lives.

What is the best age to get married?

About half of Americans say there is no best age to get married, while roughly a quarter (23%) think the best age is between 25 and 29. Around one-in-ten say getting married between the ages of 20 and 24 is ideal, and a similar share say ages 30 to 34. On average, Americans say the best age to get married is 26.5.

The share of U.S. adults who are married has decreased over the past five decades, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. A record 25% of 40-year-olds in the U.S. had never been married as of 2021.

What is the best age to have a first child?

Four-in-ten U.S. adults say there is no best age to have a first child. The next-largest share (28%) say the best age is between 25 and 29. Very few say it is ideal to have a first child before age 20 or at 35 or older.

On average, Americans say the best age to become a parent is 27.3. And the typical U.S. woman actually does give birth for the first time around that age: 27.4, according to federal data. Parents say it's best to have a first child at a slightly younger age (26.9) than do those without kids (27.9).

However, many adults in the U.S. do not have children, and a 2024 Center survey found that almost half of adults under 50 who do not already have kids think it is unlikely they ever will.

What is the best age to buy a home?

Half of Americans say there is no best age for purchasing a home. Around a third believe the best age for this is between 25 and 34. Fewer than 10% say the ideal age is 35 or older.

On average, U.S. adults say the best age to purchase a home is 28.8. Those who are homeowners themselves recommend a slightly younger age (28.4) compared with renters (30.0).

For many Americans, though, buying a home comes later in adulthood than the age our survey respondents say is ideal. The median age of first-time homeowners is 38, according to data from the National Association of Realtors®. And a Center analysis of recent Census Bureau data finds that 62% of Americans ages 18 to 34 are renters.

What is the best age to retire?

While around a third of Americans believe there is no best age to retire, 26% say the best age is between 65 and 69. About two-in-ten say the best age falls between 60 and 64, and 6% say it's 70 or older. On average, U.S. adults say the best age to retire is 61.8.

The age seen as ideal is younger than the age Americans can generally start receiving full government retirement benefits between 65 and 67, depending on birth year. Over the years, more Americans have been working past age 65, and 19% of Americans ages 65 and older were employed in 2023.

Demographic differences in ideal ages

The age U.S. adults think is best for each milestone differs based on factors like political party, age, income and the importance they place on religion.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents generally provide ideal ages that are later in life, compared with Republicans and Republican leaners. The exception is that Democrats think the best age for retirement is slightly younger than the age Republicans suggest (61.7 vs. 62.3).

Adults under 30 also recommend getting married and having a child later in life than those ages 65 and older do. But the ideal age for retirement is much lower for younger adults. On average, adults under 30 say the ideal age to retire is just before 60, while older adults say the ideal age is 65.0.

Although U.S. women tend to get married at a younger age than men, there is no difference in the ideal ages women and men give for this milestone. They also suggest similar ideal ages for buying a home and retiring. But women think it is best to have a child at a slightly younger age (27.0) compared with men (27.6).

Americans in upper-income households tend to say it's best to achieve several milestones later in life than those in lower-income households do.

• Get married: Americans in upper-income households say 27.0 is the ideal age for this, compared with 26.2 for those in lower-income households.
• Have a child: 28.7 vs. 26.2
• Retire: 62.6 vs. 61.2

Meanwhile, U.S. adults who say religion is very important in their lives say it is best to marry and have a child at slightly younger ages, compared with those who say religion is somewhat, not too or not at all important.

• Get married: Americans for whom religion is very important say 25.7 is the ideal age for this, whereas those who place less importance on religion say it's 27.1.
• Have a child: 26.4 vs. 28.0

2025 States News Service