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How common are divorces in Texas?
Recently, insurance website QuoteWizard.com released a report that ranks the rates of divorce by state. Overall, divorces are on the decline nationally. Over the past ten years, divorce rates have dropped by 20 percent. Some states experienced sharp declines, while divorce rates actually increased in certain states. QuoteWizard.com compiled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Centers for Health Statistics to determine the number of filings per state per year. Our Midland, Texas divorce attorneys discuss the states with the highest and lowest divorce rates from 2018 below.
States with the Highest and Lowest Divorce Rates
Nevada was ranked as having the highest divorce rate, at 4.4 percent. Coming in a close second was Arkansas at 4.1 percent. Other states that rounded out the top states for divorce include Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho, Alaska, and Alabama. While New York did not make the list for most divorces, it did experience the sharpest increase during the period of 2009 to 2018, climbing 7.69 percent.
Texas was ranked among the states with the least divorces, with the divorce rate at 2.6 percent. The state with the overall least divorces was Illinois at 1.5 percent. This state experienced a 40 percent decrease in divorces from 2009 to 2018. Louisiana was ranked second for the lowest divorce rates, followed by Massachusetts, Iowa, Kansas, and Maryland.
Marriage Rates Also Declining
The QuoteWizard.com report also analyzed marriage rates nationwide. Nationally, fewer people are getting married over the past ten years. Looking at the individual states, most states have seen a decline in the rate of marriage, but a few states have seen increases in weddings in the past ten years. The decline in divorce rates outpaced the marriage rate, which is good news for couples.
The state of Mississippi had the highest marriage rate of 31.25 percent, followed by New Mexico, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Texas ranked low in terms of marriage, with a 14 percent decline in marriages over the past 10 years, but also an over 20 percent decline in divorces.
Looking at the national and statewide trends in divorces and marriages offers a glimpse into the overall climate of the country. As a nation, more couples today are putting off marriage, but those that do wed tend to be sticking the course at higher rates than couples in the past. Anyone contemplating divorce will want to consult with a divorce attorney for help with this important life step.