20 States with the Highest Divorce Rates in the US

Zarah Hamid
8 min read

In This Article:

In this article, we will be covering 20 states with the highest divorce rates in the US. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 States with the Highest Divorce Rates in the US.

Divorce Dynamics in the United States: An Overview

As reported by the US Census Bureau, the national divorce rate was recorded at 6.9 in 2021. This indicates that 6.9 American women got divorced per 1,000 women aged 15 and above. On the other hand, the marriage rate in the country was 14.9. Overall, both the rates of marriage and divorce declined between 2011 and 2021. In 2022, 673,989 divorces were reported to take place in the United States. Simultaneously, the number of marriages was recorded at 2,065,905.

Historical trends reported by the US Census Bureau indicate that 34% of women and 33% of men among ever-married adults aged 20 years and above had ever been divorced. The percentage for ever-divorced was the highest for adults aged between 55 and 64 and was recorded at nearly 43%. In terms of race and origin, divorces tend to be the lowest among Asians, recorded at 14% for Asian women and 11% for Asian men.

A huge burden on Americans undergoing the process of divorce is the associated financial cost. As reported by Forbes, uncontested divorces tend to be cheaper than contested divorces which involve problems related to the distribution of property or custody. However, the median cost of a divorce in the United States in 2024 is as high as $7,000. The higher the disagreement between the partners on the terms of the divorce as in the case of a contested divorce, the higher the divorce cost. This is because such divorces involve higher legal fees and a time cost as well.  Uncontested divorces cost as low as $200 or higher than $2,000 in case legal help is taken. On the other hand, contested divorces can cost as much as $100,000. The fee also depends on the state in which the divorce occurs. You can also take a look at Best Divorce Lawyers in Each of 30 Biggest Cities in the US.

Driving Factors Behind Divorces

The National Library of Medicine has reported some of the dominant reasons for divorce in the United States. 75% of the individuals cited a lack of commitment as the major reason. Infidelity or extramarital affairs was mentioned by nearly 60% while almost 58% reported too much conflict and arguing as the factor leading to divorce. At the same time, 45% think that getting married too young results in divorce. Financial problems were also reported to be a cause of divorce by 37% of the respondents. Other reasons for divorce and their respective percentages mentioned as reasons for divorce include substance abuse at 35%, domestic violence at 24%, health problems at 18%, lack of support from family at 17%, religious differences at 13%, and little or no premarital education as another 13%.

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