Family Law Blog

U.S. Census Report Defines Regional Trends in Divorce Rates

By Denver Divorce Lawyer on September 23, 2011

The U.S. Census Bureau released a report recently entitled, “Marital Events of Americans: 2009” which presents varying divorce rates for men and women by region, according to The Huffington Post. The Census Bureau based its findings on 2009 data from the American Community Survey. According to the report, both men and women in the southern region of the nation have the highest divorce rates, whereas those in the Northeast have the lowest.

The Census defines the “South” as Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas. In the South, there are 10.2 divorces per 1000 men and 11.1 per 1000 women, both above the 2009 national average of each which is 9.2 for men and 9.7 for women. The higher divorce rates are, in part, due to the South’s higher marriage rates, according to a Census Bureau demographer.

The Northeast, which the Census defines as Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont, Pennsylvania and New York, has a divorce rate of 7.2 per 1000 for men and 7.5 per 1,000 for women, with the exception of Maine which has one of the highest divorce rates in the country for men and women. The lower divorce rates in the Northeast may be attributed to lower marriage rates.

In Colorado, the divorce rate in 2009 was 4.2 per 1,000 people for both men and women. It is the lowest point in Colorado’s history since 2003. The downward trend may not last, however, as the decrease is greatly attributed to the recession. As the economy recovers, so may the divorce rate.

There are many factors that influence divorce in Colorado, only one of which is the state of the economy. It is a big decision that will affect you emotionally and financially. The experienced Boulder divorce attorneys at the distinguished Colorado divorce law firm, Kaplan Law, LLC, can help you decide whether divorce is the best course of action for your particular situation. To learn more, contact us today at 303-458-5500.