Which state has the highest divorce rate?
There is no denying the fact that a lot of marriages end in divorce. In fact, most marriages end in divorce. This can be seen all across the board, whether you live in the United States or anywhere else.
It’s just not that easy to withstand the trials and tribulations of married life. People are different, and people change — you can’t expect your spouse to stay the same for years on end. If you fear your spouse developing into someone that you’re just not that fond of anymore one day, you are not the only one.
Many married couples struggle with these issues, as people sometimes marry on a whim, or due to societal pressures. Frankly, it is neither of the spouses’ fault if a marriage like this ends up becoming a colossal failure. The only thing you can do is to expedite the process of splitting up by staying mature, communicating with your partner, and, most importantly — educating yourself on how divorce works.
Of course, if your spouse is simply just an asshole who blatantly disregards your every need and makes you feel like crap, you’re excused from the whole “communicating and being mature” part of the deal.
Where you live matters
There is a wide plethora of most common divorce reasons, such as adultery, financial trouble, amongst other things. One peculiar aspect of divorce studies is the fact that the location you live in seems to matter a lot when it comes to the likelihood of your marriage failing.
The impact of geographical location on the marriage success rate is indeed something that has not been researched in excruciating detail so far. We do know though, that if you live in West Virginia, you’re twice as likely to get divorced than if you are living out your marriage in Illinois.
Naturally, many people get married in one state and then move and get divorced in another one, which kind of messes up the statistics a little bit, however not as much as to claim that research on divorce rates by state is outright invalid.
So what are some of the states with higher divorce rates than others, and why might that be? Do keep in mind that this brief list is purely an analysis of raw statistical data and is not indicative of any individual marriages — in other words, don’t get too heated if some of this text starts resembling your own experiences.
Nevada – 5.6
The CDC’s data makes it clear — Nevada is one of the worst states to get married in. 5.6 out of every 1000 marriages ends up in divorce! To be completely honest, it is not that surprising for Nevada to top this ranking.
Think about it — it’s a state that’s mostly covered by desert, and the largest city around is Las Vegas. The capital of gambling, boxing and, perhaps most importantly — in and out wedding chapels! The majority of marriages registered in Vegas are a side effect of a particularly wild night out and most likely end up terminated after a couple of days!
However, even taking drunken weddings into account, Nevada remains a literal breeding ground for failed marriages. Due to the close vicinity of the most famous gambling spot in the world, gambling addiction is rampant in this state. This leads to financial problems and families inevitably breaking up because they simply can not afford to stay together.
West Virginia – 5.2
That one is more of a mystery to divorce experts and researchers. West Virginia is a relatively calm, peaceful state. It doesn’t make the headlines often, and most people picture a nice, calm life in the suburbs when thinking about West Virginia.
Maybe that is the largest problem — so calm and peaceful, the uneventfulness that defines this state as one of the best ones to settle down in and start a family leads to a lot of unwanted conflict and drama. Instead of a suburbian paradise, it turned into an excruciating limbo for middle-income white families that make up the majority of West Virginia’s populace.
People get estranged from their spouses and start hating their lives in such environments. Families where both of the parents work full-time bring up neglected children, whereas stay-at-home parents fall victim to this static lifestyle’s detrimental psychological effects. That in turn leads to more fights and animosity between family members and the eventual splitting up of the household.
Arkansas – 5.3
Arkansas having one of the highest divorce rates in the United States should not come as a surprise to you. After all, it is Bill Clinton’s home state – he took infidelity to the next level, more particularly — all the way to the White House!
All jokes aside, the divorce rate in Arkansas is surprising at first glance — it’s a mostly Republican state with the vast majority of folks who live there being passionate evangelicals. Stable marriages and nuclear families are some of the most important concepts in conservative and Christian thought, aren’t they?
That’s correct, and also precisely the most likely culprit behind such a high divorce rate. In a society where a family structure and a God-fearing lifestyle is so important, the pressure to get married and starting a family is much larger than in other, less religious states. Therefore, people get married at very young ages, without fully getting to know the other person, or themselves for that matter — this leads to a lot of unwanted surprises throughout the marriage, and a bigger likelihood of divorce.
