Marriage and divorce rates are declining nationwide, indicating that while fewer people are getting married, those who do are staying together.
Our team of analysts found that the marriage rate has declined by 45% since 2009. The divorce rate, meanwhile, has dropped by 21% over the same period.
Key findings:
- Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nevada have the highest divorce rates.
- Wyoming, Colorado and Washington have the highest marriage rates.
- 33% of Americans (1 in 3) have never been married.
- Men earning over $100,000 a year are the most likely to be married.
- Women earning $75,000-$100,000 a year have the highest divorce rate.
States with the highest numbers of marriages and divorces
The number of people getting married and divorced in each state is remarkably consistent nationwide. We found that the percentage of people who are married, divorced or never got married, rarely varies by more than 10 percentage points.
- New York, California and Massachusetts have the highest percentages of people who never married.
- Idaho, Utah and Wyoming have the highest percentages of people who are married.
- West Virginia, Maine and Nevada have the highest percentages of people who are divorced.
| State | % Never Married | % Married | % Divorced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 31% | 49% | 12% |
| Alaska | 33% | 49% | 12% |
| Arizona | 34% | 48% | 12% |
| Arkansas | 29% | 50% | 12% |
| California | 38% | 47% | 9% |
| Colorado | 33% | 50% | 12% |
| Connecticut | 36% | 47% | 10% |
| Delaware | 35% | 47% | 11% |
| Florida | 31% | 48% | 12% |
| Georgia | 35% | 47% | 11% |
| Hawaii | 34% | 50% | 9% |
| Idaho | 27% | 56% | 11% |
| Illinois | 36% | 48% | 9% |
| Indiana | 32% | 49% | 12% |
| Iowa | 31% | 52% | 11% |
| Kansas | 30% | 52% | 11% |
| Kentucky | 30% | 49% | 13% |
| Louisiana | 35% | 44% | 11% |
| Maine | 30% | 50% | 14% |
| Maryland | 36% | 47% | 10% |
| Massachusetts | 37% | 47% | 9% |
| Michigan | 34% | 48% | 12% |
| Minnesota | 33% | 52% | 10% |
| Missiouri | 31% | 49% | 12% |
| Mississippi | 34% | 45% | 12% |
| Montana | 30% | 51% | 12% |
| Nebraska | 31% | 52% | 11% |
| Nevada | 34% | 46% | 13% |
| New Hampshire | 30% | 52% | 11% |
| New Jersey | 35% | 49% | 9% |
| New Mexico | 36% | 45% | 13% |
| New York | 38% | 45% | 9% |
| North Carolina | 33% | 49% | 10% |
| North Dakota | 33% | 51% | 10% |
| Ohio | 33% | 47% | 12% |
| Oklahoma | 30% | 50% | 12% |
| Oregon | 31% | 49% | 13% |
| Pennsylvania | 34% | 48% | 10% |
| Rhode Island | 36% | 45% | 11% |
| South Carolina | 32% | 49% | 10% |
| South Dakota | 32% | 51% | 11% |
| Tennessee | 31% | 49% | 12% |
| Texas | 34% | 50% | 10% |
| Utah | 31% | 55% | 9% |
| Vermont | 33% | 48% | 12% |
| Virginia | 33% | 50% | 10% |
| Washington | 32% | 51% | 11% |
| West Virginia | 28% | 49% | 14% |
| Wisonsin | 33% | 50% | 11% |
| Wyoming | 27% | 55% | 12% |
| United States | 33% | 49% | 11% |
American’s marital status may be quite consistent across state lines, but the rate at which relationships are changing is not. There’s also a significant difference between each state's current marriage and divorce rates and what they were in 2009.
We found that the marriage rate has dropped by as much as 70% in some states over the last decade. The divorce rate meanwhile, has declined by as much as 60%. Only four states have seen an increase in divorces since 2009.
| State | Marriage Rate | Divorce Rate | % change in marriage rate since 2009 | % change in divorce rate since 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 | 14 | -26% | -35% |
| Alaska | 18 | 16 | -34% | -57% |
| Arizona | 16 | 12 | -37% | -31% |
| Arkansas | 17 | 13 | -44% | -16% |
| California | 16 | 9 | -49% | -27% |
| Colorado | 21 | 9 | -57% | -16% |
| Connecticut | 12 | 11 | -33% | -34% |
| Delaware | 12 | 9 | -58% | 8% |
| Florida | 15 | 10 | -35% | -18% |
| Georgia | 17 | 12 | -43% | -24% |
| Hawaii | 16 | 8 | -64% | -15% |
| Idaho | 19 | 10 | -61% | -18% |
| Illinois | 16 | 8 | -51% | -23% |
| Indiana | 17 | 11 | -43% | -16% |
| Iowa | 16 | 11 | -50% | -42% |
| Kansas | 18 | 10 | -51% | -10% |
| Kentucky | 17 | 14 | -34% | -25% |
| Louisiana | 14 | 10 | -43% | -27% |
| Maine | 20 | 9 | -25% | -47% |
| Maryland | 16 | 8 | -49% | -13% |
| Massachusetts | 15 | 7 | -50% | -9% |
| Michigan | 16 | 9 | -40% | -20% |
| Minnesota | 18 | 8 | -49% | -14% |
| Missouri | 16 | 13 | -28% | -30% |
| Mississippi | 18 | 10 | -44% | -13% |
| Montana | 16 | 11 | -41% | -22% |
| Nebraska | 19 | 10 | -48% | -30% |
| Nevada | 18 | 12 | -45% | -17% |
| New Hampshire | 15 | 10 | -38% | -15% |
| New Jersey | 14 | 6 | -55% | 5% |
| New Mexico | 14 | 10 | -49% | 1% |
| New York | 14 | 7 | -51% | -16% |
| North Carolina | 16 | 10 | -46% | -22% |
| North Dakota | 20 | 8 | -70% | 4% |
| Ohio | 16 | 10 | -35% | -17% |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 14 | -37% | -26% |
| Oregon | 16 | 11 | -37% | -27% |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 7 | -48% | -18% |
| Rhode Island | 12 | 10 | -37% | -31% |
| South Carolina | 15 | 8 | -51% | -15% |
| South Dakota | 17 | 9 | -56% | -33% |
| Tennessee | 17 | 12 | -32% | -27% |
| Texas | 18 | 12 | -42% | -28% |
| Utah | 21 | 11 | -60% | -13% |
| Vermont | 13 | 12 | -25% | -41% |
| Virginia | 18 | 10 | -46% | -23% |
| Washington | 21 | 11 | -48% | -26% |
| West Virginia | 16 | 12 | -43% | -29% |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 8 | -54% | -15% |
| Wyoming | 22 | 11 | -63% | -7% |
| United States | 17 | 10 | -45% | -21% |
Marriage and Income
The reasons why marriage and divorce are changing are complex. People are getting married later in life, there’s less of a societal emphasis on marriage and a greater financial cost when getting divorced.
One factor that seems to be fairly consistent is the effect of income on marriage. We found that the more money someone makes, the more likely they are to be married. However, our analysts also found that while women are more likely to be married than men at lower income levels, men are more likely than women to be married at higher income levels.
Overall, men making more than $100,000 a year were the most likely to be married. While women making between $75,000 to $100,000 a year were the most likely to be divorced.
| Demographic | % Never Married | % Married | % Divorced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men: $5,000 or less | 66% | 24% | 5% |
| Men: $5,000 - 15,000 | 59% | 29% | 7% |
| Men: $15,000 - 25,000 | 53% | 35% | 8% |
| Men: $25,000 - 40,000 | 44% | 42% | 8% |
| Men: $40,000 - 75,000 | 30% | 56% | 9% |
| Men: $75,000 - 100,000 | 21% | 67% | 9% |
| Men: $100,000 or more | 13% | 78% | 6% |
| Women: $5,000 or less | 52% | 32% | 8% |
| Women: $5,000 - 15,000 | 47% | 36% | 9% |
| Women: $15,000 - 25,000 | 38% | 43% | 12% |
| Women: $25,000 - 40,000 | 34% | 46% | 13% |
| Women: $40,000 - 75,000 | 26% | 55% | 13% |
| Women: $75,000 - 100,000 | 23% | 57% | 14% |
| Women: $100,000 or more | 17% | 66% | 12% |
Things to consider for health insurance when getting married or divorced
When getting married, you and your spouse will have the choice to pick a health plan that is available to each of you. For instance, if you both have employer-sponsored health plans, you can choose to select a single plan with the best benefits. The same would apply to a public or private health insurance plan. It will typically make the most sense to each join the same plan, as opposed to having separate plans.
After a divorce, one spouse will likely want to stop being a dependent on the shared health insurance plan. In that case, there are a few options for the spouse leaving the shared plan.
- Enroll in your workplace plan: A life event like divorce will qualify you to enroll outside of enrollment periods.
- Continue coverage with your spouse's insurance company with COBRA. A COBRA plan will allow you to keep the same health care coverage in the event that you are no longer with your partner.
- Get a plan through healthcare.gov.
- Seek a private insurance plan.
- Check to see if you qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.
Methodology
Analysts at QuoteWizard reviewed U.S. Census data on marriage and divorce in the United States. Marriage and divorce rates were compared from 2009 to 2019. The percentage of people who are married, divorced or have never been married was derived from 2020 data. Most figures presented here were rounded to the nearest whole number.
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