U.S. Census Counts Pennsylvania among States with Lowest Divorce Rates

By Sheryl Rentz on September 7, 2011

In a report entitled “Marital Events of Americans: 2009,” the U.S. Census Bureau identifies regional trends in divorce rates for men and women, according to The Huffington Post. The findings are based on 2009 data from the American Community Survey. The report concludes that the South has the highest divorce rates for men and women and the Northeast has the lowest.

According to the Census Bureau, the South includes Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Oklahoma. In this region, there are 10.2 divorces per 1,000 men and 11.1 per 1,000 women. These rates exceed the 2009 national averages for men and women, which are respectively 9.2 per 1,000 and 9.7 per 1,000. According to a Census family demographer, the higher divorce rates are largely due to the region’s higher marriage rates.

The Northeast, defined as Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New York, has a divorce rate of 7.2 per 1000 men and 7.5 per 1,000 women. The lower divorce rates in the Northeast, in contrast to the South, are greatly attributed to lower marriage rates.

Choosing to divorce is a complicated but sometimes necessary decision. There are many factors that are taken into account during a divorce in Pennsylvania and, without a knowledgeable attorney, it is easy to be taken advantage of. If you are considering a divorce in Pennsylvania, contact Sheryl R. Rentz, an experienced Montgomery County divorce lawyer at (610) 645-0100 for a consultation.