"There are also known financial benefits when comparing marrieds to non-marrieds. More wealth accumulation, higher assets, and higher monthly income are consistent among marrieds. The first thing you notice is that marrieds have consistently higher annual incomes. In 2007 specifically, marrieds had $28,231 more income than single men and $42,293 more than single women. The difference is even more pronounced if both incomes are taken into consideration for dual income marrieds; in 2007 dual income couples had $86,435, which is $42,077 higher than single men and $56,139 more than single women.\n\nMarried people are also safer and less prone to get into trouble than others. There is a buffering effect that accompanies having a life-long devoted spouse who helps deflect stress and hardships on a daily basis. Thus, some of the health benefits are longer life, less suicide, more stable health coverage, and less illness and addiction. Also, marrieds have more social support, more continuity in long-term relationships, and especially more closeness for men in intimate family relationships. Husbands are less likely to abuse and be violent toward their wives than are boyfriends and partners. Married people have clear life-long goals and tend to buy homes, invest, and plan for retirement more than others. The government and military recognize spouses and reward them with tax breaks, benefits, and other sources of coverage and support more than others. In later life, many elderly report that their family relationships are very supportive and important to them. Studies show that the elderly enjoy their human investment in their children and grandchildren that yields emotional and social rewards throughout their golden years.\n\nKnown Benefits Enjoyed by Married Couples in Comparison to Non-Married Persons:\n\n1. Less likely to become victims of crime\n\n2. Less likely to commit crimes\n\n3. Less addiction\n\n4. Fewer accidents, especially among men\n\n5. Less suicide\n\n6. Better stress management because spouse is a buffer to life's stresses\n\n7. More social and emotional support, with less loneliness\n\n8. More intimate connections to family members\n\n9. Long-term continuity in family relationships of children, in-laws, grandchildren, and others\n\n10. Lower risk of domestic violence for women\n\n11. Longer life expectancies\n\n12. More and better self-rated sex\n\n13. More emotional and financial security for both spouses\n\n14. Less uncertainty about direction of life and goals\n\n15. More cost effective to live in married versus single circumstances\n\n16. Tax deductions\n\n17. More military benefits\n\n18. More accumulated belongings and investments\n\n19. More medical benefits\n\n20. More legal rights"