There was a time in American society when marriage was, essentially, final—intractable, incapable of being dissolved, in fact. It wasn't until New York state's Married Women's Property Act of 1848 that women even began to be seen as "legal entities," to say nothing of equals to men, at least in the eyes of the law. Through the end of the 19th century, divorce retained a distasteful patina; it was a source of failure, shame, or wrongdoing.
Yet there were parts of the country—such as Indiana, North and South Dakota, and Utah—that had become known as "divorce mills," places a person could safely and discreetly obtain a divorce (in the same manner that today only select states offer protected abortion care). In fact, the rate of divorce in those particular states became such a concern that in 1887 the federal government began to keep statistics on the matter.
Fast-cut to the 21st century and divorce is not only obtainable across the country, but it also has, in large part, shed the veil of secrecy and shame that once enshrouded it. The National Center for Health Statistics found in its most recent data that in 2020, across 45 reporting states and Washington D.C., there were more than 630,000 divorces. That's 2.3 divorces per 1,000 population. And while it is a 116,000-divorce drop from 2019, it would not take a divorce lawyer to puzzle out the pandemic's effect on those numbers.
Where you live may have a lot to do with your odds of getting divorced. Using 5-year estimate data from the Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey, Stacker created a list of the 50 metropolitan areas with the highest number of divorced people. The metropolitan areas, all of which had to have more than 50,000 residents to make the list, are ranked by the percentage of their divorced adult population. Adult population is considered 15 years old and over.
Here, the percentage of the adult population that is divorced is listed along with its percentage point difference versus the national average. The percentage of the adult population that is currently separated, married, or widowed also is noted, as are any resulting ties in the data.
Read on to find out if you live in a city with one of the highest divorce rates.
Sara Goth // Wikimedia Commons
1 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.3% (0.5 points above national average)
- Currently married: 50.8% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.1% (1.5 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.2% (7.6 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 196,463
Rob Hainer // Shutterstock
2 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.1% (0.3 points above national average)
- Currently married: 50.1% (2.1 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.7% (1.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 27.5% (6.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 149,399
Montanabw // Wikimedia Commons
3 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.9% (0.1 points above national average)
- Currently married: 48.1% (0.1 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.8% (0.2 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 30.6% (3.2 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 599,679
Jeremywagg // Wikimedia Commons
4 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.9% (0.1 points above national average)
- Currently married: 48.8% (0.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.6% (1.0 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 29.1% (4.7 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 88,694
The American Explorer // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.6% (0.2 points below national average)
- Currently married: 47.8% (0.2 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.3% (2.7 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 28.7% (5.1 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 99,107
Photolitherland // Wikimedia Commons
6 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.5% (0.3 points below national average)
- Currently married: 50.3% (2.3 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.6% (1.0 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 28.1% (5.7 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 67,945
j.s. clark // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.3% (0.5 points below national average)
- Currently married: 46.6% (1.4 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.1% (0.5 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.4% (1.4 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 170,792
Brandonrush // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.6% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.0% (0.8 points below national average)
- Currently married: 51.6% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.6% (0.0 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 28.3% (5.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 147,751
Renelibrary // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.7% (2.9 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.7% (0.1 points below national average)
- Currently married: 47.4% (0.6 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 4.9% (0.7 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 32.4% (1.4 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 396,915
Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock
10 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.7% (2.9 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.7% (0.1 points below national average)
- Currently married: 49.7% (1.7 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.0% (2.4 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.8% (7.0 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 408,646
MicheleHaro // Wikimedia Commons
11 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.7% (2.9 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.6% (0.2 points below national average)
- Currently married: 49.7% (1.7 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.7% (2.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 27.3% (6.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 511,055
Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock
12 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.7% (2.9 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.5% (0.3 points below national average)
- Currently married: 52.2% (4.2 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.6% (0.0 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 27.0% (6.8 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 103,403
Lómelinde // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.7% (2.9 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.4% (0.4 points below national average)
- Currently married: 51.6% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.5% (0.9 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.8% (7.0 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 107,592
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
14 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.8% (3.0 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.8% (0.0 points below national average)
- Currently married: 51.8% (3.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.4% (0.8 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.3% (7.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 96,191
Chris Light // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.8% (3.0 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.1% (0.7 points below national average)
- Currently married: 47.0% (1.0 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.3% (0.7 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 31.7% (2.1 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 129,781
Andrew Farkas // Wikimedia Commons
16 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.9% (3.1 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.6% (0.2 points below national average)
- Currently married: 43.9% (4.1 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.0% (0.4 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 34.5% (0.7 points above national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 330,915
Flintmichigan // Wikimedia Commons
17 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 13.9% (3.1 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.1% (0.7 points below national average)
- Currently married: 50.4% (2.4 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.5% (0.1 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 29.1% (4.7 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 63,411
Eudaimonic Traveler // Shutterstock
18 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.0% (3.2 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.7% (0.1 points below national average)
- Currently married: 48.6% (0.6 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.7% (2.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 28.0% (5.8 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 297,755
Public Domain
19 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.0% (3.2 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.3% (0.5 points below national average)
- Currently married: 50.5% (2.5 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.8% (2.2 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.4% (7.4 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 74,210
Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons
20 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.0% (3.2 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.0% (0.8 points below national average)
- Currently married: 46.7% (1.3 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.8% (0.2 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.5% (1.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 142,179
John Phelan // Wikimedia Commons
21 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.1% (3.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.3% (0.5 points above national average)
- Currently married: 46.2% (1.8 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.0% (2.4 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 29.4% (4.4 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 93,561
Andrew Jameson // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.1% (3.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.4% (0.4 points below national average)
- Currently married: 43.5% (4.5 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.5% (0.1 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 35.6% (1.8 points above national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 748,464
Ron Reiring // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.1% (3.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.4% (0.4 points below national average)
- Currently married: 50.2% (2.2 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.3% (0.7 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 27.9% (5.9 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 127,130
Inkknife_2000 // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.1% (3.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.2% (0.6 points below national average)
- Currently married: 48.8% (0.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.3% (0.3 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 30.6% (3.2 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 471,724
M.Bucka // Wikimedia Commons
25 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.1% (3.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.1% (0.7 points below national average)
- Currently married: 47.1% (0.9 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.5% (1.9 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 30.3% (3.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 87,018
Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) // Wikimedia Commons
26 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.1% (3.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.1% (0.7 points below national average)
- Currently married: 48.3% (0.3 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.1% (0.5 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 30.3% (3.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 90,589
Dsdugan // Wikimedia Commons
27 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.2% (3.4 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.2% (0.6 points below national average)
- Currently married: 50.8% (2.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.4% (1.8 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.3% (7.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 52,907
Yipdw // Wikimedia Commons
28 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.3% (3.5 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.8% (0.0 points below national average)
- Currently married: 49.0% (1.0 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.4% (0.8 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 28.5% (5.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 149,073
Phillip L. Hofmeister // Wikimedia Commons
29 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.3% (3.5 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.3% (0.5 points below national average)
- Currently married: 45.9% (2.1 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.0% (0.4 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.5% (1.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 132,247
Doug Kerr // Wikimedia Commons
30 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.3% (3.5 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.0% (0.8 points below national average)
- Currently married: 45.3% (2.7 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.5% (0.9 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.9% (0.9 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 153,098
Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons
31 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.4% (0.6 points above national average)
- Currently married: 44.1% (3.9 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.4% (1.8 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 31.7% (2.1 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 95,608
Tim Kiser // Wikimedia Commons
32 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.1% (0.3 points above national average)
- Currently married: 43.8% (4.2 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.6% (2.0 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.1% (1.7 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 60,043
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.9% (0.1 points above national average)
- Currently married: 44.9% (3.1 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.3% (0.7 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.5% (1.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 136,439
Yinan Chen // Wikimedia Commons
34 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.6% (0.2 points below national average)
- Currently married: 48.8% (0.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.9% (2.3 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 27.3% (6.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 566,607
John Wark // Wikimedia Commons
35 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.5% (0.3 points below national average)
- Currently married: 48.4% (0.4 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.2% (2.6 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 27.5% (6.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 216,592
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
36 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.4% (0.4 points below national average)
- Currently married: 50.2% (2.2 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.5% (2.9 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 25.5% (8.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 95,779
Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons
37 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.4% (3.6 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.4% (0.4 points below national average)
- Currently married: 52.7% (4.7 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 10.5% (4.9 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 21.0% (12.8 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 133,225
Matt Morse // Wikimedia Commons
38 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.5% (3.7 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.0% (0.2 points above national average)
- Currently married: 52.3% (4.3 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.7% (1.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 24.4% (9.4 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 73,486
Prestinian // Wikimedia Commons
39 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.5% (3.7 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.8% (0.0 points below national average)
- Currently married: 45.5% (2.5 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.7% (3.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 29.5% (4.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 85,077
Joseph Novak // Wikimedia Commons
40 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.5% (3.7 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.1% (0.7 points below national average)
- Currently married: 47.0% (1.0 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.0% (0.4 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 31.4% (2.4 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 92,175
K.Woolf // Shutterstock
41 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.6% (3.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.7% (0.9 points above national average)
- Currently married: 45.5% (2.5 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.1% (1.5 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 30.1% (3.7 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 118,882
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.6% (3.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.5% (0.7 points above national average)
- Currently married: 45.2% (2.8 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 7.7% (2.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 30.0% (3.8 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 48,085
Billy Hathorn // Wikimedia Commons
43 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.6% (3.8 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.2% (0.4 points above national average)
- Currently married: 50.4% (2.4 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.3% (2.7 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 24.5% (9.3 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 259,755
Little Mountain 5 // Wikimedia Commons
44 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 14.9% (4.1 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.2% (0.6 points below national average)
- Currently married: 51.1% (3.1 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.9% (0.3 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 26.9% (6.9 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 183,553
Quibik // Wikimedia Commons
45 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 15.1% (4.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.5% (0.3 points below national average)
- Currently married: 46.4% (1.6 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.4% (0.8 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 30.6% (3.2 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 100,058
Tim Kiser // Wikimedia Commons
46 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 15.1% (4.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.3% (0.5 points below national average)
- Currently married: 44.7% (3.3 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 6.3% (0.7 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 32.6% (1.2 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 108,885
CWanamaker // Wikimedia Commons
47 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 15.3% (4.5 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.1% (0.3 points above national average)
- Currently married: 48.8% (0.8 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.5% (2.9 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 25.3% (8.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 83,268
Sharon Day // Shutterstock
48 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 15.3% (4.5 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 2.1% (0.3 points above national average)
- Currently married: 51.0% (3.0 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.7% (3.1 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 23.0% (10.8 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 181,749
Martha.baden // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 15.5% (4.7 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.3% (0.5 points below national average)
- Currently married: 52.9% (4.9 points above national average)
- Currently widowed: 8.0% (2.4 points above national average)
- Percent never married: 22.3% (11.5 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 202,886
Asaavedra32 // Wikimedia Commons
50 / 50- Percent currently divorced: 16.1% (5.3 points above national average)
- Currently separated: 1.2% (0.6 points below national average)
- Currently married: 46.5% (1.5 points below national average)
- Currently widowed: 5.6% (0.0 points below national average)
- Percent never married: 30.7% (3.1 points below national average)
- Total adult population estimate: 131,477
