Texas Divorce Rates Higher than National Average

How many marriages end in divorce in the United States? The standard answer is 50 percent, although other studies report a decrease in the divorce rate — unless you are talking about second marriages, people over 50 and those living in southern states, including Texas.

The most recent marital event statistics, collected in 2009 through the American Community Survey, showed that the South has a much higher divorce rate than the Northeast:

• National average — 9.2 per 1,000 for men, 9.7 per 1,000 for women
• Texas — 10 per 1,000 for men, 11.9 per 1,000 for women
• Southern states — 10.2 per 1,000 for men, 11.1 per 1,000 for women
• Northeastern states — 7.2 per 1,000 for men, 7.5 per 1,000 for women

These variations may be the result of other demographic regional differences, such as age at marriage and educational level. For instance, more couples in the South decide to marry, and they tend to do so at a younger age. The marriage rate for Texans was 21.5 per 1,000 compared to the 19.1 national average. Approximately 6 percent of Texans have gotten married three or more times, which is close to the national average of 5 percent.

While these statistics may raise fascinating social science questions, anyone who is considering a divorce needs answers to questions about division of property, child custody and support arrangements. Working with a qualified Texas divorce lawyer can result in a better than average outcome.