In particular, we find that single-parent families are almost twice as likely to be suffering from food insecurity, relying on food stamps, and unable to cover emergency expenses, compared with families headed by married parents.

What’s more, even when we control for factors, such as race and education, that might seem to better explain why some Americans are more financially resilient than others, we still find that marriage is a significant predictor of who is getting by during the pandemic. In the midst of increasingly difficult and uncertain times, marriage is helping Americans steer clear of hunger, government assistance, and financial destitution.

The financial advantages of marriage are especially striking because cultural and political elites in the U.S. are so reluctant to discuss them in public. Those who control the commanding heights of popular culture, the media, and both political parties typically shy away from acknowledging a simple truth: When it comes to money, two is greater than one. But in the rest of America, where the devastation of this pandemic is real and present, this truth could not be clearer.