Red states, blue states, and divorce rates [View All]

[Brian Fearn]

I put together a map and a graph earlier, plotting voting patterns of the 2004 presidential election vs. divorce rates for that same year. I got the divorce rates here.





The blue states have an average divorce rate roughly three-fourths of the rate in the red states. If we're more generous to the red states and take Nevada (realm of ill-conceived impromptu weddings) and Arkansas out of the average, we end up with an average rate of 4.124. Still significantly higher than the rate in the blue states.

"Not so fast," you say. "There isn't any data for California, and that would surely throw off the blue states!" Well, the divorce rate for California in 1994 was 4.3 and since then divorce rates have been going down nationwide. The inclusion of California might give the blue states a bit of a jolt, but not enough to throw off the trend completely.

So...why are divorce rates higher in red states, supposedly the home of "family values" and respect for the institution of marriage?