Married couples have dropped below half of all American households for the first time. According to data analyzed by the Brookings Institution, in 2010, married couples represented just 48% of American households. So why the drop in married couples in the U.S.? Studies show that due to the recent economy, more couples are opting to cohabitate without tying the knot. ...

Married couples have dropped below half of all American households for the first time. According to data analyzed by the Brookings Institution, in 2010, married couples represented just 48% of American households.

So why the drop in married couples in the U.S.? Studies show that due to the recent economy, more couples are opting to cohabitate without tying the knot.

“There’s definitely a hefty price tag that comes with marriage,” said Mary Reuckher, a Manhattan elementary school teacher, “Besides the absurd price of weddings, marriage usually means eventually buying a house and having kids together. Those are pretty big financial commitments.”

Reuckher has been living with her boyfriend 5 years, but hasn’t made any plans for marriage in the near future, she said.

Studies show that 40% of couples that cohabitate without getting married end up breaking up, but Reuckher said that her case is different.

“Just because our relationship isn’t made official by a marriage license doesn’t mean it can’t last,” she said, “We love each other and we’re completely dedicated to each other and that’s all that matters.”

Kaitlin Hawkins, a Manhattan project manager, has been married for 7 years and she said that she believes that in most cases, marriage helps couples stay together longer.

“I think that when you really love someone, marriage is that next step to commit your whole self to another person,” Hawkins said, “It just makes the relationship more concrete.”

Hawkins said that while she understands the economic stresses that can come with the idea of marriage, money shouldn’t be the deciding factor of whether or not you get married.

“Marriage can be expensive, but you can make it work to suit you and your partner’s relationship,” Hawkins said, “You don’t have to have an extravagant wedding and marriage doesn’t automatically cement you into having kids or buying a big house in the suburbs. I think too many people forget the real meaning behind marriage.”

Now that we’ve heard both sides of the issue, what do you think? Can couples last without getting married?