Business & Economy

States with the highest divorce rates

Written by:
Alexandra Fletcher
December 4, 2017
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

States with the highest divorce rates

In 1980, nearly 50% of all marriages ended in divorce. Though now an aged statistic, that astounding number is still cited as conventional wisdom regarding successful marriages today. Fortunately, new findings suggest that divorce is actually on a relatively steep decline; despite myths, the institution of marriage is indeed alive and well in America. But as with most things, the numbers vary greatly from place to place, and some states have divorce rates over four times higher than other regions in America!

The Center For Disease Control (CDC) and the National Center of Health Statistics report data from each state to find the number of people that both divorce and marry per capita each year. To help see regional differences, Stacker analyzed the 2015 CDC report to see which states had the highest and lowest rates for divorce (excluding California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, and Minnesota), comparing that rate to the national average. Read on to see which Midwestern state has almost half as many divorces as any other place in America, and where your state stacks up against the rest.

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#46. Iowa

Divorce rate per thousand: 1.2
Divorce rate compared to national average: 61% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.3
Marriage rate compared to national average: 9% lower

#45. Illinois

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.2
Divorce rate compared to national average: 29% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.9
Marriage rate compared to national average: 15% lower

#44. Massachusetts

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 18% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.5
Marriage rate compared to national average: 20% lower

#43. Texas

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 16% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 5% higher

#42. Maryland

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 16% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 10% lower

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#41. Wisconsin

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 16% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 10% lower

#40. South Dakota

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 15% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 5% higher

 

#39. Pennsylvania

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 15% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.7
Marriage rate compared to national average: 18% lower

#38. New York

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.7
Divorce rate compared to national average: 13% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.1
Marriage rate compared to national average: 2% higher

#37. Louisiana

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 11% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.8
Marriage rate compared to national average: 2% lower

 

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#36. South Carolina

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 11% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.5
Marriage rate compared to national average: 9% higher

#35. New Jersey

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 9% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.6
Marriage rate compared to national average: 19% lower

 

#34. Kansas

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 9% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.9
Marriage rate compared to national average: 14% lower

#33. District of Columbia

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 9% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 19% higher

#32. North Dakota

Divorce rate per thousand: 2.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 8% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 11% lower

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#31. Rhode Island

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.0
Divorce rate compared to national average: 3% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.4
Marriage rate compared to national average: 8% lower

#30. Michigan

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.0
Divorce rate compared to national average: 2% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 13% lower

#29. Ohio

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 1% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.9
Marriage rate compared to national average: 14% lower

#28. Vermont

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 1% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.1
Marriage rate compared to national average: 18% higher

#27. North Carolina

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 1% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 1% higher

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#26. Delaware

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 0% lower
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.7
Marriage rate compared to national average: 17% lower

#25. Connecticut

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 1% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.3
Marriage rate compared to national average: 23% lower

#24. Missouri

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.2
Divorce rate compared to national average: 2% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 10% lower

#23. Nebraska

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.2
Divorce rate compared to national average: 3% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.4
Marriage rate compared to national average: 8% lower

#22. New Mexico

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.3
Divorce rate compared to national average: 6% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 11% lower

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#21. Virginia

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.3
Divorce rate compared to national average: 6% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 1% higher

#20. New Hampshire

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.3
Divorce rate compared to national average: 7% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.9
Marriage rate compared to national average: 1% higher

#19. Mississippi

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.4
Divorce rate compared to national average: 9% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 1% higher

#18. Washington

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.4
Divorce rate compared to national average: 9% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 10% lower

#17. Oregon

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.4
Divorce rate compared to national average: 10% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.9
Marriage rate compared to national average: 0% lower

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#16. Montana

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.4
Divorce rate compared to national average: 10% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 15% higher

#15. Maine

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.4
Divorce rate compared to national average: 11% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.6
Marriage rate compared to national average: 10% higher

#14. Utah

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 15% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.1
Marriage rate compared to national average: 17% higher

#13. Arizona

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 15% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 5.9
Marriage rate compared to national average: 14% lower

#12. Tennessee

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.7
Divorce rate compared to national average: 19% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.5
Marriage rate compared to national average: 23% higher

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#11. Kentucky

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.7
Divorce rate compared to national average: 19% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 4% higher

#10. Colorado

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.7
Divorce rate compared to national average: 20% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.8
Marriage rate compared to national average: 2% lower

#9. Alabama

Divorce rate per thousand: 3.9
Divorce rate compared to national average: 24% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.4
Marriage rate compared to national average: 7% higher

#8. Florida

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.0
Divorce rate compared to national average: 28% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 19% higher

#7. West Virginia

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.0
Divorce rate compared to national average: 28% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 6.6
Marriage rate compared to national average: 5% lower

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#6. Idaho

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 33% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 8.2
Marriage rate compared to national average: 18% higher

#5. Alaska

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 33% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.4
Marriage rate compared to national average: 7% higher

#4. Wyoming

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.1
Divorce rate compared to national average: 34% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.3
Marriage rate compared to national average: 6% higher

#3. Oklahoma

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.4
Divorce rate compared to national average: 41% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 7.4
Marriage rate compared to national average: 8% higher

#2. Nevada

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.6
Divorce rate compared to national average: 50% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 31.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 350% higher

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#1. Arkansas

Divorce rate per thousand: 4.8
Divorce rate compared to national average: 56% higher
Marriage rate per thousand: 10.0
Marriage rate compared to national average: 46% higher

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