Refined Divorce Rate in the U.S.: Geographic Variation, 2024
Family Profile No. 31, 2025
Author: Krista K. Westrick-Payne
The latest release of the American Community Survey provides the data for this profile on the geographic variation in the refined divorce rate in the United States for 2024. 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). 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). 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 2008-2024, see “Charting Marriage & Divorce in the U.S.: The Refined Divorce Rate” (Westrick-Payne, 2025).
U.S. Refined Divorce Rate, 2024
- With 14.2 women divorcing per 1,000 married women, the U.S refined divorce rate decreased just slightly in 2024 from 14.4 in 2023.
- Nearly 1 million women (986,810) divorced in 2024, a nominal decrease of 5,867 women from 2023 when 992,677 women divorced.
Figure 1. Women’s Refined Divorce Rate, 1970-2024
Five Highest and Lowest Divorce Rates, 2024
Figure 2. Women's Highest and Lowest Refined Divorce Rates, 2024
| Rank | State | Rate | MOE | |
| 1. | Oklahoma | 20.7 | +/- | 2.6 |
| 2. | Nevada | 19.9 | +/- | 3.9 |
| 3. | Mississippi | 19.2 | +/- | 4.3 |
| 4. | Wyoming | 18.7 | +/- | 5.6 |
| 5. | Alabama | 18.0 | +/- | 2.3 |
| USA | 14.2 | +/- | 0.3 | |
| 46. | Montana | 11.7 | +/- | 3.9 |
| 46. | South Carolina | 11.7 | +/- | 1.9 |
| 48. | Idaho | 11.2 | +/- | 2.5 |
| 49. | New Jersey | 11.0 | +/- | 1.3 |
| 50. | Wisconsin | 10.8 | +/- | 1.8 |
| 51. | Maine | 10.0 | +/- | 2.5 |
Source: NCFMR analyses of American Community Survey 1-year estimates, Tables B12001 & B12503, 2024
- In 2024 Oklahoma had the highest refined divorce rate with 20.7 women per 1,000 married women divorcing in the past year.
- Rounding out the five highest divorce rates in 2024 were Nevada (19.9), Mississippi (19.2), Wyoming (18.7), and Alabama (18.0).
- Maine had the lowest refined divorce rate with 10.0 women divorcing per 1,000 married women.
- Wisconsin (10.8), New Jersey (11.0), Idaho (11.2), as well as Montana and South Carolina (11.7) had the remaining four lowest divorce rates in 2024.
State Rankings in Refined Divorce Rates, 2024
- The states with the highest divorce rates and representing the top quartile in 2024 had rates of at least 16.3 divorces per 1,000 married women aged 15 and older.
- The states with the lowest levels of divorce and representing the bottom quartile in 2024 had 13.0 or fewer divorces per 1,000 married women.
Figure 3. State-Level Women’s Refined Divorce Rate by Quartile, 202
Regional Variation in Refined Divorce Rates, 2024
- Three-fourths (76%) of the states in the Southern region of the country had high divorce rates (third or fourth quartile), with 8 of the 16 Southern states (and DC) in the fourth/top quartile (47%) and 5 in the third quartile (29%).
- Although Western states were most often in the second quartile (38%) they had the second largest share in the fourth (31%) quartile.
- Only two Western states were in the bottom quartile—representing low divorce rates—Idaho and Montana.
- Generally, Midwestern states had low divorce rates. Of the four quartiles, the largest share was in the first quartile (42%).
- No Midwestern states were in the top/fourth quartile.
- Most states in the Northeast exhibited low divorce rates with over two-fifths (44%) in the bottom/first quartile.
- One Northeastern state (Rhode Island) was in the top/fourth quartile.
Figure 4. Regional Variation of Women’s Refined Divorce Rate, 2024
Figure 5. State-level Map of Women’s Refined Divorce Rate in the U.S., 2024
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau (2024). American Community Survey, 2021 - 2024 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 - 2024 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. (2025). Charting marriage & divorce in the U.S.: The refined divorce rate, 2008-2024. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/NCFMR/documents/RBT/chart-mar-div-2024-div-ud-2025-09-19-kkp.pdf
Suggested Citation:
Westrick-Payne, K. K. (2025). Refined divorce rate in the U.S.: Geographic variation, 2024. Family Profiles, FP-25-31. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-25-31
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: 10/24/2025 09:06AM