PRINCETON, NJ -- When USA Today asked what the subjects of his film "March of the Penguins" have most in common with humans, director Luc Jacquet answered, "They form couples and are faithful. It's the only way they can raise the chick under extreme conditions." 

Jacquet's rendering of love-struck penguin couples struggling to bring their offspring into the world is touchingly humanlike. But marriage is often viewed as a declining institution in U.S. society.

Potential Benefits of Marriage for Cohabiting Couples with Children

A new analysis looking at links between marriage, fertility and other socioeconomic characteristics was released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, providing the first-ever state-by-state analysis of median age at first marriage. The analysis of the multi-year marriage and fertility data from the American Community Survey (ACS) also shows how socioeconomic characteristics such as mother’s income, age, work status and language spoken at home are correlated with birth rates.