What is the divorce rate in America? According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, in 2021, there were 14 divorces per 1,000 married women nationwide. While the divorce percentage in the United States has declined over the past decade, there are still many cities that have a higher divorce rate than the national average. Do you know the cities with the highest divorce rate in America?
The LLCAttorney.com team created this report and visualized the U.S. cities with the highest divorce rates as well as the cities with the lowest divorce rates. The visualization shows the 1-year estimates of marital status data for individuals over the age of 15 from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey of metropolitan and micropolitan areas. Which cities do you think come out on top?
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Which Cities Have the Highest Divorce Rates?
Who has the highest divorce rate in the United States? The top metropolitan area on the list is Medford, OR with a divorced population of 15.8%, making it the city with the highest divorce rate in the United States. Located in Jackson County, the Medford metropolitan area is the fourth-largest in Oregon. The population estimate for the Medford statistical area is around 220,000 residents.
The second area on the list of highest divorce rate cities in the U.S. is Dothan, AL. Dothan has a divorce rate of 15.1% of people over the age of 15. The Fort Smith metropolitan area is also tied in second at 15.1%. This area includes Fort Smith, AR as well as additional cities in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas by population. The area was known as a base camp during the “Wild West” period in the early 19th century as it was a center for fur trading.
The top areas with the highest divorce rate are:
- Medford, OR: 15.8%
- Dothan, AL: 15.1%
- Fort Smith, AR-OK: 15.1%
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL: 15.0%
- Bangor, ME: 14.9%
- Charleston, WV 14.9%
- Pueblo, CO: 14.7%
- Texarkana, TX-AR: 14.7%
- Jackson, MI: 14.6%
- Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA: 14.6%
On the other end of the spectrum, there are many cities that have a much lower divorce rate than average. The Provo-Orem area of Utah has the lowest divorce rate in the country at 5.7%. Utah County, where Provo and Orem are located, has the highest percentage of Mormon residents in the state. The divorce rate among Latter-day Saints is generally slightly lower than other religions.
Ranking second for cities with the lowest divorced population is Laredo, TX. Laredo has a population of about 256,000 with a divorced population of 6.8% over the age of 15. Laredo is situated on the north bank of the Rio Grande across from Mexico. It is the 11th most-populated city in Texas and the third-most populated city in the United States on the Mexican border.
What Are the Leading Causes of Divorce?
In the United States, the leading causes of divorce were reported to be a lack of commitment, infidelity, and conflict. These are common problems that can cause rifts in marriages and lead to one or both members of the partnership to seek divorce. The reasons that Americans cited as the “final straw” for their divorce include domestic violence, infidelity, and substance abuse. Studies have shown that individuals who are divorced may have higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and general psychological distress.
How Much Does a Divorce Cost?
The cost of a divorce varies by location as well as the assets involved. Things tend to get more complicated if there are multiple homes, children, or businesses involved. The average expense of a divorce in the United States is between $15,000 and $20,000. If a divorce is contested (meaning one party has at least one issue with the divorce agreement), the process can be dragged out and cost significantly more in legal fees.
Marital assets like homes, vehicles, furniture, or artwork often have to be distributed after the divorce. This can also include debts like mortgages and student loans. Typically a judge will look at marital assets and decide the most equitable way to distribute both assets and debts.
Some individuals choose to put their assets in a trust in order to protect them during a divorce. These assets are removed from the individual's name so that they cannot be pursued by creditors. It is a legal and safe way to protect your assets in plain sight while ensuring they remain in your control.
The 25 U.S. Cities With the Highest Divorce Rates
| Rank | Geographic Area Name | Divorced Population (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medford, OR | 15.8 |
| 2 | Dothan, AL | 15.1 |
| 2 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | 15.1 |
| 4 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 15 |
| 5 | Bangor, ME | 14.9 |
| 5 | Charleston, WV | 14.9 |
| 7 | Pueblo, CO | 14.7 |
| 7 | Texarkana, TX-AR | 14.7 |
| 9 | Jackson, MI | 14.6 |
| 9 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 14.6 |
| 11 | Redding, CA | 14.5 |
| 12 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 14.3 |
| 13 | Punta Gorda, FL | 14.1 |
| 14 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 14 |
| 15 | Johnson City, TN | 13.9 |
| 15 | Reno, NV | 13.9 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | 13.7 |
| 17 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 13.7 |
| 19 | Carbondale-Marion, IL | 13.6 |
| 20 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | 13.5 |
| 20 | Salem, OR | 13.5 |
| 22 | Terre Haute, IN | 13.4 |
| 23 | Muskegon, MI | 13.3 |
| 24 | Canton-Massillon, OH | 13.1 |
| 24 | Norwich-New London, CT | 13.1 |
| 24 | Wichita Falls, TX | 13.1 |
The 25 U.S. Cities With the Lowest Divorce Rates
| Rank | Geographic Area Name | Divorced Population (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provo-Orem, UT | 5.7 |
| 2 | Laredo, TX | 6.8 |
| 3 | College Station-Bryan, TX | 6.9 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 7 |
| 5 | Merced, CA | 7.3 |
| 6 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 7.7 |
| 7 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 7.8 |
| 8 | Lancaster, PA | 8 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 8 |
| 8 | Yuma, AZ | 8 |
| 11 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 8.1 |
| 11 | Rochester, MN | 8.1 |
| 13 | Fresno, CA | 8.3 |
| 13 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8.3 |
| 13 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 8.3 |
| 16 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | 8.4 |
| 17 | Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY | 8.5 |
| 17 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 8.5 |
| 19 | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 8.6 |
| 19 | Stockton, CA | 8.6 |
| 21 | Bakersfield, CA | 8.7 |
| 21 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 8.7 |
| 21 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 8.7 |
| 24 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 8.8 |
| 25 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 8.9 |
| 25 | Salinas, CA | 8.9 |
AUTHOR
Jonathan Feniak, Esq., MBA
Jonathan is admitted to practice law in Colorado and Wyoming. In this position, he helps business owners at nearly every level and in nearly every industry with asset protection, estate planning, and business formation. Beyond business owners, Jonathan also helps activists of all political persuasions to legally protect themselves.
