Refined Divorce Rate in the U.S.: Geographic Variation, 2023
Family Profile No. 26, 2024
Author: Krista K. Westrick-Payne
This profile is the most recent in our long-running series on the geographic variation in the refined divorce rate in the United States. We present the refined rate for the U.S., each state, and Washington, DC—defined here as the number of women who divorced in the past 12 months per 1,000 married women aged 15 and older (Siegel & Swanson, 2004). In short, these estimates represent the population “at risk” of divorce and differ from crude divorce rates (number of divorces per 1,000 total population) published by NCHS and general divorce rates (number of divorces per 1,000 population aged 15 and older) published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Given significant state-level variation in age composition and sex ratios in the U.S. the refined rate is considered a superior demographic measure of marital behavior (Ruggles, 2012). Data for these estimates come from the most recent release of the American Community Survey and represent the year 2023. The margins of error (at a 90% confidence interval) were also calculated and presented alongside the refined rates. For detailed information on the refined divorce rate from 2008-2023, see “Charting Marriage & Divorce in the U.S.: The Refined Divorce Rate” (Westrick-Payne, 2024).
U.S. Refined Divorce Rate, 2023
- With 14.4 women divorcing per 1,000 married women, the U.S refined divorce rate decreased just slightly in 2023 from 14.6 in 2022.
- Nearly 1 million women (992,677) divorced in 2023, a nominal increase of 3,159 women from 2022 when 989,518 women divorced.
Figure 1. Women’s Refined Divorce Rate, 1970-2023
Source: NCFMR analyses of 1970-2000, National Center for Health Statistics; 2008-2019 and 2021-2022, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-yr est., Tables B12001 & B12503,2008-2019 and 2021-2023, and 2020 American Community Survey, 1-year Experimental PUMS
Five Highest and Lowest Divorce Rates, 2023
Table 1. Women's Highest and Lowest Refined Divorce Rates, 2023
| Rank | State | Rate | MOE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51. | Alaska | 24.3 | +/- | 6.6 |
| 50. | Delaware | 22.5 | +/- | 7.8 |
| 48. | Nevada | 20.1 | +/- | 3.5 |
| 48. | North Dakota | 20.1 | +/- | 8.5 |
| 47. | Oklahoma | 19.6 | +/- | 2.1 |
| USA | 14.4 | +/- | 0.3 | |
| 5. | Hawaii | 10.8 | +/- | 3.2 |
| 4. | Wisconsin | 10.7 | +/- | 1.5 |
| 3. | New Hampshire | 10.3 | +/- | 3.1 |
| 2. | Connecticut | 10.1 | +/- | 2.2 |
| 1. | Vermont | 8.2 | +/- | 3.9 |
Source: NCFMR analyses of American Community Survey 1-year estimates, Tables B12001 & B12503, 2023
- In 2023 Alaska had the highest refined divorce rate with 24.3 women per 1,000 married women divorcing in the past year. Alaska also had the highest divorce rate in 2020 and 2011.
- Rounding out the five highest divorce rates in 2023 were Delaware with 22.5, North Dakota and Nevada with 20.1, and Oklahoma with 19.6.
- Vermont had the lowest refined divorce rate with about 8 women divorcing per 1,000 married women. Vermont also had the lowest divorce rate in 2022 at about 9 women divorcing per 1,000 married women.
- Connecticut (10.1), New Hampshire (10.3), Wisconsin (10.7), and Hawaii (10.8) had the remaining four lowest divorce rates in 2023.
State Rankings in Refined Divorce Rates, 2023
- The states with the highest divorce rates and representing the top quartile in 2023 had rates of at least 16.9 divorces per 1,000 married women aged 15 and older.
- The states with the lowest levels of divorce and representing the bottom quartile in 2023 had 12.9 or fewer divorces per 1,000 married women.
Figure 2. State-Level Women’s Refined Divorce Rate by Quartile, 2023
Source: NCFMR analyses of American Community Survey 1-year estimates, Tables B12001 & B12503, 2023
Regional Variation in Refined Divorce Rates, 2023
- Three-fourths (75%) of the states in the Southern region of the country had high divorce rates (third or fourth quartile), with 7 of the 16 Southern states in the fourth/top quartile (44%) and 5 in the third quartile (31%).
- Although Western states (38%) were most often in the second quartile they had the second largest share in the fourth (23%) and third (23%) quartiles.
- Only two Western states were in the bottom quartile—representing low divorce rates—Hawaii and Washington.
- Generally, Midwestern states had low divorce rates. Of the four quartiles, the largest share was in the first quartile (42%).
- Most states in the Northeast exhibited low divorce rates with over half (56%) in the bottom/first quartile.
- No Northeastern states were in the top/fourth quartile.
Figure 3. Regional Variation of Women’s Refined Divorce Rate, 2023
Source: NCFMR analyses of American Community Survey 1-year estimates, Tables B12001 & B12503, 2023
Figure 4. State-level Map of Women’s Refined Divorce Rate in the U.S., 2023
Source: NCFMR analyses of American Community Survey 1-year estimates, Tables B12001 & B12503, 2023
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau (2024). American Community Survey, 2021 - 2023 1-Year Estimates [Table B12001]. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=B12001&tid=ACSDT1Y2021.B12001
U.S. Census Bureau (2024). American Community Survey, 2021 - 2023 1-Year Estimates [Table B12503]. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=B12503&tid=ACSDT1Y2021.B12503
U.S. Census Bureau (2021). American Community Survey, 2020 1-year Experimental PUMS
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Westrick-Payne, K. K. (2024). Charting marriage and divorce in the U.S.: The refined divorce rate. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/NCFMR/documents/RBT/charting-us-divorce-2008-2022.pdf
Suggested Citation:
Westrick-Payne, K. K. (2024). Refined divorce rate in the U.S.: Geographic variation, 2023. Family Profiles, FP-24-26. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-24-26
This project is supported with assistance from Bowling Green State University. From 2007 to 2013, support was also provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the state or federal government.
Updated: 12/13/2024 12:18PM