A consumer advocacy group recently revealed the cities in the United States that have the highest divorce rates, and the results are surprising.
Researchers at ConsumersAdvocate.org reviewed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2016 report of five-year estimates. Using this data, they calculated the percentages of divorced, married, and single people in the largest 200 cities in the country. They divided the population within each subset by the total population of people over age 15 (which they considered an adult).
The Results
Below are the cities with the highest divorce rates according to ConsumersAdvocate.org.
- #25. Albuquerque, New Mexico
- #24. Des Moines, Iowa
- #23. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- #22. Cleveland, Ohio
- #21. Knoxville, Tennessee
- #20. Akron, Ohio
- #19. Salem, Oregon
- #18. Cape Coral, Florida
- #17. Paradise, Nevada
- #16. Tuscon, Arizona
- #15. Henderson, Nevada
- #14. Las Vegas, Nevada
- #13. Lakewood, Colorado
- #12. Springfield, Missouri
- #11. Vancouver, Washington
- #10. Dayton, Ohio
- #9. Tulsa, Oklahoma
- #8. Birmingham, Alabama
- #7. Spring Valley, Nevada
- #6. Tacoma, Washington
- #5. St. Petersburg, Florida
- #4. Hollywood, Florida
- #3. Reno, Nevada
- #2. Toledo, Ohio
- #1. Spokane, Washington
Nevada and Florida have taken the lead with the highest number of cities that made the list. In addition, Washington State and Ohio had multiple cities on the list of highest divorce rates.
Divorce is On the Decline
Despite the data, there is still a common misconception that about half of all marriages end in divorce. In truth, the national divorce rate has been declining since it peaked in the 1970s and 80s. Reasons for the drop in divorce rates could possibly be the corresponding decline in marriage rates and the increase in age of those marrying for the first time, ConsumerAdvocate.org noted. Still, divorcees still account for more than 10 percent of the American adult population.
For those who divorce, reviewing all their available options is key to an efficient and successful process. The Divorce Lawyers at Divorce Done Right believe that when possible, couples benefit from working toward mutually beneficial divorce agreements. No matter our client’s situation, we also ensure he or she remains well informed through the process.