
Dating typically occurs during selected periods when both people have chosen to spend time together.
Living together introduces ordinary routines: cleaning, sleeping schedules, finances, privacy, chores, visitors, noise, food, and personal habits.
Research on cohabitation shows that living arrangements introduce practical relationship dynamics that aren't always visible during conventional dating.
That doesn't mean couples must live together before marriage.
It simply means romantic compatibility and household compatibility aren't exactly the same thing.
© Pew Research Center