Where Divorce, Marriage Are Most Common — How Does Your State Rank?

Divorce can be disastrous — not just emotionally, but financially. And while auto insurance might be the last thing on your mind during such an eruption, your marital status can affect your rates.

The latest LendingTree study looks at where divorce and marriage are most common by tracking the highest and lowest percentages of residents with these statuses by state. We also show where the proportion of people married or divorced increased or decreased the most between 2021 and 2022.

We also get into auto insurance costs for married and single people. (Spoiler: Married people spend less on car insurance, on average, than their single counterparts.)

Key findings

• Wyoming has the highest percentage of divorced residents. 13.3% of the state’s 15-and-older residents were divorced as of 2022, followed by West Virginia (13.2%) and Nevada (13.1%). The states with the lowest percentage of divorced people were Utah (8.3%), New Jersey (8.4%) and California (8.8%). The U.S. percentage was 10.5%.
• Wyoming also saw the biggest increase in the percentage of divorced people. The percentage of the Wyoming population that was divorced increased by 8.1% between 2021 and 2022, followed by South Dakota (7.1%) and Vermont and Delaware (tied at 6.1%). The percentage of the population that was divorced decreased the most in Idaho (6.7%), Washington (5.3%) and Indiana (4.8%). The U.S. percentage dropped 0.9% between 2021 and 2022.
• Utah has the highest percentage of married residents. 55.3% of the state’s residents were married as of 2022, followed by Idaho (54.2%) and Wyoming (52.4%). The District of Columbia had the lowest percentage by far at 30.2%, behind New Mexico (42.9%) and Louisiana (43.3%). The U.S. percentage was 48.0%.
• North Dakota saw the biggest increase in the percentage of married people. The percentage of the North Dakota population that was married increased by 3.2% between 2021 and 2022, followed by South Carolina (2.9%) and Alabama (2.8%). The percentage of the population that was married decreased the most in New Mexico (4.0%), Arizona (2.7%) and Wyoming and Hawaii (tied at 2.6%). The U.S. percentage was unchanged.
• Married people with auto insurance pay an average of $52 less annually than single people. Married people spend an average of $1,413 annually for car insurance, versus $1,465 among single people. The biggest spreads in which married people pay less are in Georgia ($171), South Carolina ($148) and Rhode Island ($143). Married people pay more, on average, in three states: Oklahoma, Indiana and Delaware.

Divorce is most common in Wyoming, West Virginia, Nevada

While 10.5% of U.S. residents 15 and older were divorced as of 2022, certain states saw higher proportions. Wyoming, West Virginia and Nevada hold the dubious title for the highest percentage of divorcees at 13.3%, 13.2% and 13.1% of their populations, respectively.

While statewide divorce trends can be difficult to explain, the relatively low populations of the three leading states may have something to do with their higher percentages. After all, if fewer people are in your proximity, there are fewer people to fall in love with (and potentially remarry). Wyoming, in fact, has the lowest population in the U.S., at 581,381 as of 2022, according to the Census Bureau.

(An interesting tidbit: According to another LendingTree study, those in the military have the highest rate of divorce, followed by health care support workers and those in the food preparation and serving industry. All three states that top our list below have multiple military bases, though that’s true of many U.S. states.)

Percentage of divorced residents by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey (with one-year estimates) data.

Other states, meanwhile, enjoy lower rates of divorced people: Only 8.3% of Utah’s population reported their status as divorced in 2022 — the lowest percentage on our list. Runners-up were New Jersey at 8.4% and California at 8.8%.

Although Utah’s status might appear to throw the population density hypothesis out the window, there’s a confounding factor to consider: the state’s higher-than-average proportion of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that religion’s emphasis on marriage. New Jersey and California contain or are in proximity to extremely large, dense cities — in New Jersey’s case, the Big Apple itself — where the project of finding new love may be easier than in the deserts and plains.

How divorce can affect insurance

Heartbreak is one thing — but divorce can break banks, too. According to a 2018 LendingTree survey, respondents spent an average of more than $18,000 on their divorce proceedings.

Insurance is another financial area that your marital status can impact, and your insurance rates can climb in the wake of a divorce — especially with auto insurance. “The rate you pay on car insurance after a divorce is going to be a little more than half the amount you pay for your joint policy,” says LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt — though the specifics will depend on more factors than the presence of a wedding band. “The person who keeps the more valuable car will probably pay a little more than half the cost of the shared policy. The person with the better driving record may pay a little less,” he adds.

Fortunately, Bhatt says, divorce is less likely to have a substantial impact on the price of homeowners or renters insurance, though costs may naturally double if each partner is carrying a whole policy in their new home rather than sharing a joint policy.

Wyoming, South Dakota, Vermont, Delaware see biggest divorce increases

Some good news for matrimonial bliss: Nationally, the percentage of divorced adults fell by 0.9% between 2021 and 2022. Once again, however, the figures shift at the state level.

Runners-up included South Dakota, where the divorced percentage increased by 7.1%, and Vermont and Delaware, which tied for third with 6.1% increases. (Nearby New Hampshire was just shy with an increase of 6.0%.)

Again, the states in the lead tend to have relatively low populations compared to other U.S. states.

Additionally, figures look different when we zoom out to a larger time frame: Between 2017 and 2022, Wyoming’s overall divorced population remained the same, with measures of 13.3% in both years. Meanwhile, South Dakota and Vermont saw drops in their proportions of divorced residents in that time — 5.4% and 6.9%, respectively.

Change in the percentage of divorced residents by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2022 and 2021 American Community Survey (with one-year estimates) data.

Other states saw a significant drop in their proportion of divorced residents between 2021 and 2022: Idaho led the way with a decline of 6.7%, followed by Washington state (5.3%) and Indiana (4.8%). Idaho — which has the third-highest population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after Utah and California, according to Wisevoter — may owe the religion thanks for its decreasing proportion of divorcees. Potential reasons for the decreases in Indiana and Washington were less apparent.

Marriage is most common in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming

Next, our study considers the overall proportion of married residents nationally and by state. Nearly half (48.0%) of the U.S. 15-and-older population was married as of 2022, and Utah enjoyed the highest overall rate at 55.3%. Idaho came in second with a married population of 54.2%, suggesting again that the presence of the Mormon church may be a boon.

However, the third spot was held by a surprising contender: Wyoming, where 52.4% of the overall population reported their status as married in 2022. Despite its higher place in the divorce metrics listed above, many Wyomingites are still in wedlock. (Keep in mind that married and divorced are not the only options, which is why these figures don’t necessarily represent the inverse of those listed above; the Census Bureau also tracks the marital statuses of widowed, separated and never married individuals.)

Percentage of married residents by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey (with one-year estimates) data.

On the other end of the spectrum, certain states and districts have relatively few married people in their populations. The District of Columbia was the least-married area in our study, with only 30.2% of its residents reporting their status as married in 2022. This figure was substantially lower than the next two states in the bottom three: New Mexico and Louisiana, with married population percentages of 42.9% and 43.3%, respectively.

At the risk of stereotyping, D.C.’s relatively low marriage rate may be due to its status as the nation’s capital. Many people move to the District with highly ambitious political career goals, which may not leave much time for romance. Reasons are harder to speculate about for New Mexico and Louisiana, whose percentages are far closer to the U.S. average.

How marriage can affect insurance

Just as divorce can affect insurance rates, so can saying “I do.” Namely, it can drop your auto insurance rate: “Insurance companies see married drivers as less likely to be involved in accidents, based on the claims data they analyze,” Bhatt says. Thus, they tend to charge married drivers less than their single counterparts, all else being equal.

Additionally, if you’re in a multicar marriage, Bhatt says you may get insurance rate discounts for covering multiple vehicles. “However, if your spouse or significant other has a bad driving record, your share of the joint insurance bill may be higher than what you’d pay for your own policy,” he adds — which means driving history may be a topic worth bringing up before popping the question.

North Dakota, South Carolina, Alabama see biggest marriage increases

North Dakota was in the lead with an increase in its percentage of married residents of 3.2% over the studied time frame, followed by South Carolina’s 2.9% bump and Alabama’s 2.8%.

North Dakota’s population only increased by about 4,300 between 2021 and 2022, according to the Census Bureau, so a population increase can’t account for its overall increase in married people — and the trend hasn’t been consistent over time. Between 2017 and 2022, its married percentage dropped slightly, by 0.8%.

South Carolina and Alabama saw population increases of at least 34,000 between 2021 and 2022, which may have affected the proportion of married folks between those years. South Carolina, in particular, has been enjoying this trend for a while: Between 2017 and 2022, its percentage of married people has risen by 4.9%, the second-highest such rise in the U.S. behind the District of Columbia during that time frame. Alabama also saw a similar increase over those five years, though slightly less pronounced at 3.9%.

Change in the percentage of married residents by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2022 and 2021 American Community Survey (with one-year estimates) data.

In the primary study period (2021 and 2022), however, different states showed drops in their percentage of married residents. New Mexico ranked first with a 4.0% drop in married people between 2021 and 2022, followed by its neighboring desert state Arizona (2.7% drop). Wyoming and Hawaii tied for third with drops of 2.6% in their proportion of married residents.

Again, most of these states boast relatively low populations, which may make a marriage partner more difficult to find. It’s harder to account, however, for the dropping rate over time.

Married people with auto insurance pay less in 46 states

Of the many reasons to get married — or divorced — calculating the cost of auto insurance may not be the first to come to mind.

An important caveat Bhatt points out: “Most car insurance policies cover both spouses who live together, and insurance companies typically require unmarried couples who live together to also get a shared or joint policy. The cost of a single policy for a couple who live together, married or unmarried, is usually cheaper than the combined cost of separate policies for each person.”

Still, the best discounts are saved for those who’ve tied the knot: A married couple usually pays less than an unmarried couple, even on an otherwise identical single policy.

Once again, figures shift by state. In some states, like Georgia, South Carolina and Rhode Island, married folks save significantly more on their car insurance coverage each year: $171, $148 and $143, respectively. Given the complexity of car insurers’ quote algorithms, it’s difficult to say why these savings are so much higher — but they can still substantially impact consumers’ finances.

Change in average car insurance premiums, single vs. married

Source: LendingTree analysis of Quadrant Information Services insurance data.

Fortunately for singles, in other states, being married increases the annual cost of car insurance on average. In Oklahoma, for example, married drivers pay $25 more on their car insurance coverage per year than the state’s singles. Married Indianans pay $7 more per year, and those who’ve said “I do” in Delaware pay $1 more per year than those still waiting for the one.

3 tips to maintain your finances after a divorce

Given the emotional fallout of any breakup, let alone a divorce, money management might be the last thing on your mind amid the rift. But neglecting your financial life in the short term can create even more heartache down the line. Here are some tips to help you figure out your financial road map post-divorce — or even ahead of one.

• Consider your credit. A major life shift can make it easy to make late payments or even miss them entirely — or go on a debt-inducing spending spree to mend your ailing emotions. Although divorce doesn’t directly affect your credit, its various consequences can, and as a single person, you only have your credit history on which to rely. In short, be sure to consider and monitor your credit throughout and after the divorce proceedings. (Good news for those staying married: In most cases, you’re not responsible for your spouse’s debt.)
• Protect your home equity. A house is such a large and valuable asset that many people need to be coupled to buy one — and if you’re dissolving a marriage in which you split ownership of a house, your share of the equity will be divided in the divorce settlement. Your attorney and a knowledgeable real estate agent can help you determine how much equity is rightfully yours — and ensure you get it in the proceedings.
• Review all your insurance products, auto and beyond. Along with homeowners, renters and auto insurance, your health insurance plan is also likely to change in the divorce — and you may want to update the beneficiaries of life insurance policies and even retirement accounts. “If you have children who drive, you’ll also need to make sure they have auto insurance,” Bhatt points out. “The best solution for a teen driver depends largely on which parent they live with the most and whether they have a car they drive regularly. This is something you should discuss with your insurance agent.”

Methodology

LendingTree researchers analyzed U.S. Census Bureau 2022, 2021 and 2017 American Community Survey data (with one-year estimates) on marital statuses. We pulled the percentages of divorced and married people, nationally and by state. We then calculated one-year and five-year changes based on the percentages to compile rankings.

Our analysis also used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your own quotes will likely be different.

Unless otherwise noted, rates for single and married drivers reflect the average of premiums available for minimum- and full-coverage policies. Minimum-coverage policies meet each state’s minimum requirements for liability insurance. Uninsured-motorist coverage and/or personal injury protection (PIP) are included in states where these coverages are required. Full-coverage policies include the following coverages, limits and deductibles:

• Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $100,000
• Collision: $500 deductible
• Comprehensive: $500 deductible
• Uninsured motorist: Minimum limits where required
• Personal injury protection: Minimum limits where required