A brief examination of Texas divorce rates shows that couples in the Lone Star state are more likely to stay married than 30 years ago and are less likely to get divorced than people living in other states.
Divorce rates over time
Only 1.5% of people getting married in Texas today will dissolve their union in divorce court. Compare that figure to 5.5% who got a divorce in 1990. Experts say that part of this drop is more people live together before getting married.
Comparing Texas divorce rates to the U.S. average
Across the United States, about 2.3% of marriages end in divorce. While the rate in Texas is about 0.8% lower than the national average, if you are considering getting married, you should avoid Loving, Kennedy, Sabine, Real and Hardeman counties, where the divorce rate is the highest in the state. Experts believe that part of the reason is that these counties tend to be rural areas, where people may only associate with their spouses.
What factors make it more likely you will get divorced?
African American people have the highest divorce rate in Texas, with 60% of their unions ending in divorce. Younger people, when they get married, are more likely to get a divorce. Furthermore, belonging to a religious group makes you more likely to get divorced, but this may be because these people tend to be younger when they get married. Finally, people with lower education levels are more likely to divorce than those with higher education levels.
Getting married in Texas may help you avoid divorce court because there are more successful marriages in Texas than the national average.