Mississippi Divorce Rate Ranks Top 8 in the US

Fact Checked by Nate Hamilton

A trend has emerged in Mississippi that concerns the state’s daunting rate of divorce compared to others in America.  

It’s a trend that’s likely not going to inspire a lot of state pride, as Mississippi ranks in a tie with Kentucky for the 8th highest divorce rate, at 3.3.  

With April 14 being National Ex-Spouse’s Day, it’s not likely that people are buying flowers for their former flame, and one must wonder just how many others out there are feeling the burn. We take a quick break from Mississippi sports betting updates to give you the latest divorce rates in America.

States Ranked By Divorce Rate

BetMississippi.com used data from the National Center for Health Statistics to determine the states with the highest and lowest divorce rates. 

Rank State Divorce Rate
1Nevada4.2
2Oklahoma3.8
3Wyoming3.7
T4Alabama3.6
T4Arkansas3.6
T6Florida3.4
T6Idaho3.4
T8Kentucky3.3
T8Mississippi3.3
T8Tennessee3.3
T8Utah3.3
12North Carolina3.2
T13Alaska3.1
T13Virginia3.1
15Colorado3.0
T16Missouri2.9
T16North Dakota2.9
T16Washington2.9
T16West Virginia2.9
T20Arizona2.7
T20Maine2.7
T20Oregon2.7
T20Rhode Island2.7
T24Delaware2.6
T24District of Columbia2.6
T24Nebraska2.6
T24New Hampshire2.6
T24Ohio2.6
T29Connecticut2.5
T29Montana2.5
T29South Dakota2.5
T32Pennsylvania2.4
T32South Carolina2.4
T34Iowa2.3
T34Michigan2.3
T34Vermont2.3
T37Georgia2.2
T37Louisiana2.2
T37New Jersey2.2
T37New York2.2
41Wisconsin2.1
42Kansas1.9
43Maryland1.6
44Texas1.4
45Illinois1.3
46Massachusetts1.0
* — NCHS data does not include divorce rates for California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, or New Mexico.

Mississippi Divorce Rates Lag Others In Region

With the Magnolia State ranking in the top-10 nationally, it’s of little surprise that Mississippi is ahead of its neighbors when it comes to divorce rates.  

The state ranks alongside Kentucky, Tennessee and Utah at 3.3, just behind states like Florida and Idaho (3.4) and ahead of North Carolina (3.2).  

Nationally, Nevada (4.2), Oklahoma (3.8), Wyoming (3.7), Alabama and Arkansas (3.6 apiece) ranked atop the list when it comes to highest divorce rates.  

Conversely, Kansas (1.9), Maryland (1.6), Texas (1.4), Illinois (1.3) and Massachusetts (1.0) had the lowest rates in America, proving that love might still be alive and well in certain parts of the country.  

Be sure to bookmark BetMississippi.com for stories like this and all types of Mississippi news.

Author

Christopher Boan is a writer at BetMississippi.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.