Assessing the Ups and Downs of Life For Our No-Longer-Young Singles

The world lavishes attention on young singles, as an evening of TV will indicate. There’s no shortage, though, of singles in the 40-69 age bracket. Census data show that about one-third of 40-69s are unmarried (including the formerly married). A survey conducted for AARP The Magazine looks at how they lead their single lives.

Contrary to what young folks might suppose, unmarried 40-69s haven’t settled into a life of gloomy spinsterhood. When respondents were asked to gauge their lives at present on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best), 39 percent picked an 8 or higher; just 7 percent picked a 3 or lower.