Divorce is common
Divorce is relatively common in the United States. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2019 the divorce rate was 14.9 divorces per 1,000 married women aged 15 and older.
California has one of the highest divorce rates in the United States. According to the California Department of Public Health, in 2019, there were 142,459 divorces in California, which is a rate of 3.5 divorces per 1,000 people. However, it’s worth noting that the divorce rate can vary depending on various factors such as age, income, education, and cultural background, among others.After the marriage rate hit a 50-year low in 2020 (i.e., 28.1 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women), the marriage rate dropped slightly lower in 2021 to 28.0 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women.
According to Quotewizard:
States with the highest numbers of marriages and divorces
The number of people who are married or divorced varies from state to state by as much as 10 percentage points.
- New York, California and Massachusetts have the highest percentages of people who have never married.
- Utah, Idaho and Wyoming have the highest percentages of people who are married.
- Arkansas, West Virginia and Maine have the highest percentages of people who are divorced.
Nationwide, 49% of people are married, 11% of people are divorced and 33% of people have never married. Not included in the table below are the number of people who are widowed in each state.
| State | % married | % divorced | % never married |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 47% | 12% | 32% |
| Alaska | 49% | 11% | 34% |
| Arizona | 49% | 12% | 33% |
| Arkansas | 49% | 13% | 29% |
| California | 46% | 9% | 38% |
| Colorado | 50% | 11% | 33% |
| Connecticut | 47% | 10% | 36% |
| Delaware | 48% | 10% | 34% |
| Florida | 47% | 13% | 32% |
| Georgia | 47% | 11% | 35% |
| Hawaii | 50% | 9% | 34% |
