How Divorced Americans Navigate Dating and Relationships

Divorce can be emotionally and mentally draining, and many divorced Americans may hesitate to jump back into the dating pool. But is the reality of dating after divorce as bleak as some people think? More than 1 in 6 divorced Americans are actively dating, and many are hopeful they’ll find love again.

We surveyed more than 600 divorced Americans to understand how they handle the dating world and the challenges of navigating the world of love and relationships.

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It can be hard to open back up to dating and romance after getting a divorce, and nearly half (47%) of survey respondents agree that, in general, it’s harder to date as a divorcee. More than 1 in 4 respondents believe there’s a stigma around dating after divorce, which may be why 2 in 5 said they prefer to date someone who is also divorced. 

Despite the difficulty and stigma of dating as a divorcee, 17% of divorced Americans are actively dating. When we look at the generational breakdown, 50% of divorced millennials, 40% of Gen Z, 31% of Gen X, and 23% of baby boomers are in the dating scene. How often are divorced Americans going on dates? For 1 in 4, it’s once a month or more.

It can be difficult to navigate a relationship with an ex-spouse while dating, and the vast majority (90%) of divorced Americans say they do not share the news with their ex when dating someone new. When dating someone new, 29% do not disclose that they’re divorced on a first date. Usually, that’s a conversation topic for the second or third date.

Trying to find love or a partner can be difficult, especially for a second time, and 49% of divorcees surveyed report being hesitant about dating after divorce. Americans also report feeling nervous (44%), skeptical (41%), and anxious (40%). But despite these emotions, 32% of daters say they’re hopeful. 

Whether divorcees are actively dating may depend on their emotional state, and 34% of those surveyed said they do not feel as though they’ve fully recovered from their divorce. The survey revealed that getting divorced has affected the desire to remarry, as the majority (65%) of those surveyed say they do not want to get married again. But, despite this, 51% say they hope they’ll find love again!

The divorce and dating timeline is different for everyone. But according to our survey, 39% of respondents said they did not wait until the divorce was finalized to begin dating again. Those respondents who said they waited until after the divorce was final waited about one year before jumping back into the dating pool.

More than half (51%) said they regret marrying their ex-spouse, while 49% don’t regret the marriage despite the divorce. That lack of regret may be due to changing desires, and for 1 in 6 divorced Americans, their sexual preferences changed since getting a divorce.

Divorced or single, one of the most popular ways to date today is through dating apps or websites. More than 2 in 5 divorcees are using apps or websites to date, and of those who use them, 33% say they are actively online dating.

Dating apps pose their own challenges. Specific to divorced users, 68% in the survey say fake profiles or misleading information is the biggest issue. More than two-thirds (67%) also say it’s hard to find people online who share similar values or life goals, and about 25% find limited compatibility options.

Divorced Americans aren’t hiding the fact that they’ve been divorced, and 3 in 4 say they include this information on their dating profiles. More than half (59%) are also open about having children on their profiles.

Dating after a divorce can be a tough landscape, but when children from previous relationships are involved, it can make that landscape even more difficult. Among survey respondents who are divorced and have children, 27% say they keep their dating life separate from their children.

Nearly 2 in 5 survey respondents said they don’t introduce their children to someone unless the relationship is serious, and 89% agree that parents should wait to introduce their children to someone they’re dating. When going on dates, 28% don’t talk about their children on a first date, and 19% only go on dates when their kids are with the ex-partner or a trusted sitter.

Not all divorced Americans have young children who need a sitter, and of those with adult children, 27% said they involve them in their dating lives. Adult children are generally supportive of their parents finding love again, and 68% of parents recognize this support. 

In April 2024, we surveyed 616 self-reporting divorced Americans to get their feedback on dating and navigating romance after a divorce. The age range of respondents was 24 to 84, with an average age of 52. Respondents identified as 73% female, 26% male, and 1% non-binary. 

Respondents have been divorced for an average of 13 years and were an average of 39 years old when they got divorced.

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