Somewhere around 80% of all Americans give marriage a try before they reach 40. Unfortunately, It’s an American institution that sometimes comes to a sad ending. Hundreds of thousands of people file for divorce each year and seek to split with a spouse.
Marriage and divorce rates go hand in hand in the U.S. and are usually helpful in determining where the nation’s attitude toward nuptials are headed. Robert Sparks Attorneys thought it would be illuminating to see just which states are home to the most failed unions.
What States Have The Highest Divorce Rates in the U.S.?
By all accounts, the divorce rate in America has been falling for quite some time now. It’s a lot lower than the extreme rates often documented in the previous century.
The old statistic that made the rounds was that about half of all marriages end in divorce. Forbes Advisor found that the rough estimate is accurate for first marriages, but the percentage isn’t as applicable for those who remarry. Second and third marriages end in divorce at a much higher rate.
The National Center for Family & Marriage Research (NCFMR) released data on 2022 figures showing that there was about a 5% increase in divorce in the U.S. from 2021 to 2022. Researchers say that 989,518 women reported getting divorced in 2022 compared to 948,862 women the year before. We await official figures from 2023 to see if the upward trend continues. It should be noted that some states aren’t represented in those figures. Some states don’t track and release their numbers on divorce.
According to other NCFMR figures:
- Southern states comprised 10 out of the 14 states with the highest divorce rates.
- Northeastern states as a whole had the lowest rates of divorce.
- The U.S. divorce rate reached a 40-year record low for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021.
- The peak adjusted divorce rate for the United States was in 1979 when it stood at 22.6 per 1,000 women. By 2022 the divorce rate had fallen to 14.56.
Statista evaluated the divorce rate for each state. Their researchers used something called a “crude rate” method that simply evaluates the state’s divorce cases per 1,000 residents.
Nevada showed up with the highest divorce rate of any state in 2021. Nevada posted a 4.20 divorce rate per 1,000 people. Florida tied with Idaho for the sixth-highest rate at 3.4. Massachusetts boasts the lowest divorce rate of any state with 1.0 per 1,000 in population.
What States Have the Highest Marriage Rates?
High divorce rates may be discouraging to some, but the marriage rates are posting a comeback that might help offset the loss of love.
U.S. News determined that marriage rates in 2022 were the highest they had been in four years. The U.S. marriage rate increased by 12% in 2022 to 16.7 women getting married in 2022 per 1,000 women ages 15 years and older. That compares with a rate of 14.9 the year before and 16.6 in 2018.
Statista also evaluated the crude marriage rate for each state with 2021 statistics. They determined how many people were getting hitched per 1,000 residents. Their researchers found that the marriage rate has been falling for the past three decades and has only recently leveled off a bit.
Among the reporting states, Nevada emerges as the state granting divorces at the highest rates and also the state that creates the most new unions each year. Hawaii and Montana are also places where people walk down the aisle more often. Florida wound up 14th on the list for marriage rate. Louisiana had the lowest marriage rate of any state in 2021.
Why Do People Get Divorced in the United States?
In some cases, the reasons why one state experiences more divorces or marriages in a single year can be a bit of a mystery. However, the reasons that lead to divorce are often fairly consistent from decade to decade.
Robert Sparks Divorce Attorneys had Pollfish conduct a poll asking people about their divorces and what led to a breakup. Almost 60% of the respondents said they’d been married 5 years or longer before the separation.
Their reasons for seeking separation were some of the most commonly mentioned marital problems we’ve all heard about or experienced. Communication and “Growing Apart” were cited the most by respondents. In this poll, respondents could select more than one answer. This reflects the true nature of divorce in that the reasons aren’t always black-and-white and it’s not always a major event that sparks divorce. Many smaller issues and personality traits can lead to the end of a marriage.
Divorce Rates for Florida
Florida ranks high for divorce rates among the 50 states. And with around 22% of our population being 65 and up, divorce among seniors, also known as “gray divorce,” is also common.
Divorce can be a scary time for someone of any age. It’s critical that both partners involved get fair treatment and receive the support they deserve to be able to rebuild their lives. In many cases, it’s critical for those going through divorce to have a skilled divorce lawyer on their side.
An experienced lawyer works to make sure you aren’t giving up an unfair amount of what you’ve worked for and invested in a marriage. Contact Robert Sparks Divorce Attorneys of Tampa to schedule a consultation to go over your options and your next steps.
