Spending Time Together: Time Use Estimates for Economically Disadvantaged and Nondisadvantaged Married Couples in the United States

From the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, this report provides national data on time spent together among married couples across a variety of income and education levels. Recent marriage experts have encouraged couples to spend time together to foster a healthy relationship, and due to the demands in meeting basic needs, poor couples may have less time for such relationship building activities. This study reveals that economically disadvantaged couples spend slightly more, rather than less, time together than nondisadvantaged ones. Authors conclude by offering implications for such findings.