Love is a beautiful thing, but marriage isn’t easy. It’s not always lasting either. While it’s common knowledge that about 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, the odds vary greatly across the U.S. Different states have drastically different divorce rates due to a number of factors, such as poverty rates, rates at which individuals attend college, what age couples marry and whether or not they have kids.
While divorce rates are still relatively high, the good news is that there’s been a 27 percent decrease since 2011. Research says that’s largely thanks to millennials, who seem to be staying married longer. Part of that could be for financial reasons (because, well, millennials are broke). But other reasons are at play, too, like waiting longer to get married in modern times.
There are still parts of the country that fare better than others, though, when it comes to marriage. Here are the 10 worst states to be married, with the highest rates of divorce in the U.S. Let’s just say, you may want to consider moving if a happy marriage is something you want for your future.
6. Tennessee
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No. of women divorced in 2022 per 1,000: 9.1
No. of men divorced in 2022 per 1,000: 8.7
The No. 6 spot goes to Tennessee, whose residents aren’t doing so great in the marriage sector. The poverty rates in this southern state are quite high, which, unfortunately, means the divorce rate is soaring, too.
Interestingly enough, couples who have divorced friends can increase their risk of divorce by 75 percent — something for Tennesseans to keep in mind when choosing their social circles.
2. West Virginia
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No. of women divorced in 2022 per 1,000: 9.7
No. of men divorced in 2022 per 1,000: 11.1
West Virginia has mountains, rivers, swirling country roads and wildlife for miles. But forever love? Now, that might be a tad harder to come by. Despite economic growth across the state, the poverty rate has increased in recent years, making divorces pretty mainstream.
West Virginia residents aren’t totally doomed, though! Since 1990, they’ve definitely improved their stats.
