What are the divorce rates by state?

 Posted on February 04, 2023 in Divorce

It can be difficult to track divorce statistics. For instance, people sometimes say that half of all marriages end in divorce. But stats like this account for the entire length of the marriage. A couple could stay married for 30 years and still get divorced eventually, counting toward this 50%, but that wouldn’t be clear for three decades.

As a result, these rates are usually calculated simply by looking at the number of people getting divorced per 1,000 people living in that area. This allows you to see which states and locations have higher divorce rates than others. There is quite a lot of variety across the U.S., and you may be wondering where Illinois ranks.

1.6 divorces per 1,000 people

First and foremost, Illinois actually ranks as one of the states with the lowest divorce rate, at just 1.6 divorces for every 1,000 people in the state. This is notably lower than nearby states like Michigan, at 2.1, or Missouri, at 2.7.

However, to truly see how Illinois ranks, it’s worth looking at some of the states with the highest divorce rates. For example, Wyoming has a divorce rate of 3.8, giving it the highest rate in the country. This is followed by Alabama at 3.7, Arkansas at 3.6 and Oklahoma at 3.5. Of the states that had data reported, the lowest rate found was in Massachusetts, at 1.0.

Divorce can happen even to those who don’t expect it. It’s important for all couples to be sure that they understand their legal rights as they work through this complicated process.