What’s your guess? Does Colorado make the Top 10 list of the most divorced states? We won’t keep you in suspense. The answer is no.
The 2010 study by the National Vital Statistics Report and the U.S. Census Bureau calculated the number of divorces per state, and then broke that down to the number of divorces per 1,000 people in each state. Generally, the study found that common reasons for divorce were financial stresses, since areas of the country hit by the recession saw a spike in divorce rates.
According to CNBC, one surprising finding of the study is the high divorce rates in areas that are typically considered socially conservative. However, that’s not always a factor in why couples stay together or divorce.
The least divorced state is Massachusetts, with only 1.8 marriages ending per 1,000 people. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Nevada, with 6.6 divorces for every 1,000 people. The state is known for its “quickie” marriages and is also known for fast divorces. Reno was reportedly once termed the “Divorce Capital of the World,” so its ranking is not particularly shocking.
Another state high on the list is Arkansas, where the economy and financial stress are considered the biggest factors in divorces there.
One interesting state making the list: Alaska. Even though it is the fifth-least populated state in the nation, it has the eighth highest divorce rate. Likely culprits: failure to consummate the marriage, mental illness, adultery and habitual drunkenness, according to CNBC.
Other states high on the list include Oklahoma, West Virginia, Wyoming, Florida and Maine. The rankings may not say much about why marriages end, but it’s interesting to see which areas rank high and which don’t.
Source: CNBC, “10 most divorced states,” Daniel Bukszpan, Aug. 8, 2011