Marriage, Divorce Rates Highest In Same U.S. Regions

[LaurenG]

Singles, take note: With marriages at an all-time low, states in the South and West rank among the highest for couples hearing wedding bells. But many of these states also have higher rates of divorce.

The first-of-its-kind analysis by the Census Bureau, released Thursday, also finds that people are waiting longer before marrying for the first time. In particular, the percentage of women who wed as teenagers has dropped precipitously since 1970, while many men are postponing marriage past their college-age years.

<snip>

The Northeast registered lower rates of divorce overall, which the Census Bureau report attributed in part to delayed marriage in those places, which decreased the likelihood of marital discord down the road.

"Surprisingly, the South and West, which we think of as more socially conservative, have higher rates of divorce than does the supposedly liberal East," said Andrew Cherlin, a professor of sociology and public policy at Johns Hopkins University. "The reason is that young adults in the South and West tend to have less education and marry earlier, both of which lead to a higher risk of divorce."

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Interesing.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/25/139939527/want-to-stay-hitched-live-in-the-northeast

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Excellent article

As a whole, marriages are now at a record low, with just 52 percent of adults 18 and over saying they were joined in wedlock, compared with 57 percent in 2000, according to census data released last September. The never-married included 46.3 percent of young adults 25-34 the first time the share of never-married young adults exceeded those who were married, 44.9 percent, with the rest being divorced or widowed.

Marriage is just not 'all that' anymore in the North East . . . I know in my circle of friends (35-55) our older girlfriends (all now divorced) find it commendable that we've waited until our late 30's/early 40's to get married. They see how the 'Old American Dream' turned out for them and now they have to start back at square one in life.

I think there's an even bigger shift in the North East. We're a major 'reset' area. A house in the burbs, a man, 2.5 kids, 2 cars, a pool, and a summer home seems wasteful on soooooo many levels.

How much do you really need? Yeah - if you want 5 or 6 kids get married young and pop 'em out. If you want a simple life, filled with good times and laughter - delay marriage, have one kid, live close to a city with parks, and live well and within your means.

[TlalocW]

4. Or have no kids

:)

TlalocW

[JustAnotherGen]

9. True

But number one cause of divorce (leading to poverty or shelter/food/medical care insecurity) is . . .

You ready for this.

Hold on.


It's coming.


Marriage! Marriage is the number one cause of divorce! :rofl:

I think we're also losing the fairy tale bs that Walt Disney shoved down our throats. Marriage until recently was always about financial security. The enters the Mass Marketing of Snow White.

It didn't work. You just don't need a White Knight to be happy these days. We have vibrators you know! :rofl:

[SheilaT]

2. I've read recently that

Baptists have the highest divorce rates of all.

I wouldn't be surprised if the most vociferously anti-abortion folks have the highest abortion rates, in no small part because they're also less likely to use birth control.

[dtexdem]

5. Well, Catholics do have higher rates than Protestants.

But don't confuse the positions of church leaders with those of folks who list a church as their denomination.

[SheilaT]

7. You are absolutely right.

[dtexdem]

3. Wow, so supply and demand does sometimes work?

;-)

[Demeter]

6. 56, and still waiting

First I'd like to meet a healthy, reasonably sane and kind man...unlike my ex.

[LetTimmySmoke]

8. Further proof that marriage is the number one cause of divorce.