The 15 Most-Divorced Cities in the U.S.

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on ChamberOfCommerce.org.

Marriage — and divorce — in the U.S. today are starkly different than in earlier eras of the country’s history.

A series of economic, legal, and social shifts reshaped marriage in the second half of the 20th century. More women began working outside of the home in the post-World War II era, which provided avenues to financial security and independence outside of marriage. Greater emphasis on postsecondary educational attainment and career development have led young people to wait longer to enter marriage.

States began to adopt no-fault divorce laws throughout the 1960s and 1970s that made it easier to end a marriage. Meanwhile, changing social and cultural attitudes have made it more common for couples to cohabitate, combine finances, and raise children prior to getting married — or without getting married at all.

These trends have contributed to a decline in the overall number of marriages and to delays in when people get married for the first time. In the U.S., there are currently only 6.5 marriages per 1,000 people each year, compared with 10.9 five decades ago.

These shifts have also affected how likely married couples are to stay together. As women entered the workforce in the mid-20th century and feminism and the sexual revolution took hold, rates of divorce rose quickly throughout the 1960s and 1970s. From 1960 to 1980, the divorce rate per 1,000 people in the U.S. more than doubled from 2.2 to 5.2. But the rate began to fall steadily after 1980, and as of 2018, the rate of divorce had dropped to 2.9 per 1,000 people.

To determine the most divorced locations, researchers at ChamberOfCommerce.org calculated the percentage of adults currently divorced. The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.

Here are the most-divorced cities in the U.S.

15. Aurora, CO

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 12.7%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.0%

Percentage of adults currently married: 46.1%

Percentage of adults never married: 34.9%

14. New Orleans, LA

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 12.8%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.7%

Percentage of adults currently married: 28.5%

Percentage of adults never married: 50.3%

13. Oklahoma City, OK

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 12.9%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.3%

Percentage of adults currently married: 45.1%

Percentage of adults never married: 34.2%

12. Colorado Springs, CO

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.0%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 1.5%

Percentage of adults currently married: 49.9%

Percentage of adults never married: 31.1%

11. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.0%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.0%

Percentage of adults currently married: 41.9%

Percentage of adults never married: 36.6%

10. Kansas City, MO

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.3%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.2%

Percentage of adults currently married: 39.7%

Percentage of adults never married: 39.7%

9. Wichita, KS

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 1.9%

Percentage of adults currently married: 45.9%

Percentage of adults never married: 33.4%

8. Tampa, FL

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.4%

Percentage of adults currently married: 38.5%

Percentage of adults never married: 40.5%

7. Cleveland, OH

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 3.4%

Percentage of adults currently married: 24.7%

Percentage of adults never married: 52.3%

6. Miami, FL

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.5%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 3.5%

Percentage of adults currently married: 36.8%

Percentage of adults never married: 39.8%

5. Las Vegas, NV

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 13.8%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.0%

Percentage of adults currently married: 43.8%

Percentage of adults never married: 35.3%

4. Jacksonville, FL

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 14.0%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.2%

Percentage of adults currently married: 42.3%

Percentage of adults never married: 35.8%

3. Tucson, AZ

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 14.3%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.3%

Percentage of adults currently married: 35.7%

Percentage of adults never married: 42.5%

2. Tulsa, OK

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 14.6%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 2.5%

Percentage of adults currently married: 42.2%

Percentage of adults never married: 34.7%

1. Albuquerque, NM

Percentage of adults currently divorced: 15.1%

Percentage of adults currently separated: 1.4%

Percentage of adults currently married: 39.8%

Percentage of adults never married: 38.2%

Methodology

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. To determine the most-divorced locations, researchers calculated the percentage of adults currently divorced.

In the event of a tie, the location with the higher percentage of adults currently separated was ranked higher. It is important to note that the category “currently married” excludes those married but “currently separated,” and that the percentages don’t sum to 100% because the “currently widowed” percentage is omitted. To improve relevance, only cities with at least 100,000 residents were included.