RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Marriage Meets the Joneses
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 482
OP 517
DO 10.3368/jhr.46.3.482
VO 46
IS 3
A1 Tara Watson
A1 Sara McLanahan
YR 2011
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/46/3/482.abstract
AB This paper investigates the effect of relative income on marriage. Accounting flexibly for absolute income, the ratio between a man’s income and a local reference group median is a strong predictor of marital status, but only for low-income men. Relative income affects marriage even among those living with a partner. A 10 percent higher reference group income is associated with a 2 percent reduction in marriage. We propose an identity model to explain the results.