Divorce Statistics in the State of Texas

 Posted on September 01, 2021 in Divorce

As hard as it may be for younger people to believe, at one time, divorce was a very rare occurrence. In fact, in certain eras, divorce was almost taboo, something approaching a scandal. Things have changed substantially in recent decades, and now divorce is exceedingly common. What's more, the stigma of divorce has gradually dissipated as well. The stigma has receded in tandem with the increased frequency of divorce and changing perception of marriage and relationships in general.

In this post, we will look at some recent statistics on marriage and divorce to get a sense of what's going on here in the Lone Star State.

Divorce Rates in the State of Texas

Let's look at data from a few years ago, as this data are more readily available. Back in 2017, the divorce rate in Texas was 2.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. This rate represents a steady decrease in recent years. For instance, back in 1990, Texas had a divorce rate which was more than double the current rate at 5.5 per 1,000 inhabitants. By 2007, the rate had dropped to 3.3, and then in 2016 it was 2.6. So, although divorce is much more common now than it was several generations ago, the rate of divorce in Texas has actually been declining in the recent past.

How does this rate of 2.2 per 1,000 compare with the national average? Perhaps surprisingly, Texas's rate is lower than the national average, which was 2.9 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2017. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised, however, because Texas is still a relatively religious state, and religiosity correlates with lower divorce.

Marriage Rates in the State of Texas

In 2017, the marriage rate in Texas was 7.1 per 1,000. This just a bit higher than the national rate at the time, which was 6.9 per 1,000. In total, 2,236,496 marriages took place in 2017. At the national level, marriages rates have been declining; in 2000, for instance, the national rate was 8.2 per 1,000.

Commonly Cited Reasons for Divorce

Although the reasons underlying the collapse of any given marriage can vary widely, there are some reasons which are cited frequently for marital dissolution. Here is a list of some of the more commonly cited reasons for divorce:

• Physical or emotional abuse
• Infidelity
• Couple was too young
• Arguing / verbal fighting
• Unbalanced or unequal relationship

Breaking Down the Statistics by County in Texas

Interestingly, divorce rates in Texas tend to be dispersed unevenly throughout the state. Certain counties have significantly higher divorce rates than others; as a general trend, counties in the northeastern part of Texas have higher divorce rates than those in the southwestern part of the state. Some counties, such as Bexar, Cochran, and Fort Bend, have had divorce rates in some years which are almost negligible. Other counties, such as Lamar, Lampasas, and Dallam, have consistently had divorce rates which were among the highest in the state.

In some cases, the high divorce rates of counties makes intuitive sense. For instance, Dallas County has a relatively high divorce rate of 4.8 (back in 2017), and this makes sense because this county is home to the City of Dallas. Cities have been well-known to produce higher divorce rates than more rural areas, on the whole, and so we shouldn’t be too surprised that Dallas County has a higher than average rate.

Contact The Ramage Law Group for Additional Information

To learn more, contact The Ramage Law Group today by calling 469-208-6980. We can answer any questions you have about the complex divorce process here in Texas.