Liberal Cities, Fewer Divorces

 Posted on September 17, 2012 in Divorce

In a surprising trend, recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that although the West and South regions in America have the highest marriage rate, these regions also lead the nation in divorces, according to an article in the Huffington Post. "Maine, Alaska, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Nevada ranked at the top for divorces, while Utah, Wyoming and Arkansas—which had the highest marriage rates—were also higher than average in marital breakups." Andrew Cherlin, a John Hopkins University professor of sociology and public policy, told the Huffington Post that it was surprising that the regions thought to be more socially conservative have higher rates of divorce than the supposedly more liberal cities in the East.

According to the Illinois Department of Health, the number of divorces in Chicago has continued to decline from 2000 to 2009. This means that Chicago is similar to the big cities in the East that have showed lower divorce rates than their Southern and Western counterparts. According to Department of Health statistics, the total number of divorces in Illinois in 2009 was 32,460, including 91 annulments, as opposed to 72,821 marriages. This means that the divorce rate was only 2.5, as opposed to 3.2 in 2000.

One reason for these statistics that are similar in big cities across the country could be for the fact that many people are marrying later in life. This is especially true in big cities, such as Chicago, where many people in their twenties (the traditional decade for marriage in America) focus on careers before entering into matrimony.

Despite the positive trends, if you or someone you know is in an unhappy marriage, divorce could be the best option. Don't go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Cook County divorce attorney today.

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