Citizens of some cities are more divorce-prone than others. And if you live in Charleston, W.Va., you’re at the top of the list. Even before Vegas.
A recent Men’s Health study ranked 100 of the largest U.S. cities based on divorce rate information from the U.S. Census Bureau and state agencies, as well as the number of marriage and family therapists per capita from the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. State data also considered the strength of divorce laws.
The results of this study will come out in the print issue in April.
West Virginia isn’t doing so hot in other areas either. The 2013 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index interviewed over 176,000 people from all 50 states on physical and mental health of Americans in the U.S., according to USA Today. West Virginia has been on the bottom of that list for five years.
Stephen N. Smith, executive director of the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, told Men’s Health that the job market may be to blame for Charleston’s ranking.
“The pressure to make a good living puts strain on a marriage,” Smith told Men’s Health. “Right now it is infinitely harder to make a living here than it was 40 years ago.”
And the hits just keep on coming. Since 2012, West Virginia has been 48th on CNBC’s 2013 America’s Top States for Business study, worst in workforce with workers being the least educated. The state also suffers from stagnant population growth, heavy union presence and poor business friendliness.
The top 10 cities that keep the divorce rates low:
1. Madison, Wis.
2. Pittsburgh, Pa.
3. Philadelphia, Pa.
4. Columbia, S.C.
5. Seattle, Wash.
6. Plano, Texas
7. Fargo, N.D.
8. Milwaukee, Wis.
9. Burlington, Vt.
10. Laredo, Texas
The bottom 10 cities where divorce is most likely:
91. Toledo, Ohio
92. Boise, Idaho
93. Las Vegas, Nev.
94. Tulsa, Okla.
95. Jacksonville, Fla.
96. Little Rock, Ark.
97. Cheyenne, Wyo.
98. Norfolk, Va.
99. Albuquerque, N.M.
100. Charleston, W.Va.
See the full list below:
1. Madison, Wis.
2. Pittsburgh, Pa.
3. Philadelphia, Pa.
4. Columbia, S.C.
5. Seattle, Wash.
6. Plano, Texas
7. Fargo, N.D.
8. Milwaukee, Wis
9. Burlington, Vt.
10. Laredo, Texas
11. St. Paul, Minn.
12. El Paso, Texas
13. San Antonio, Texas
14. Minneapolis, Minn.
15. Chicago, Ill.
16. Bridgeport, Conn.
17. Dallas, Texas
18. Des Moines, Iowa
19. San Jose, Calif.
20. Oakland, Calif.
21. San Francisco, Calif.
22. Cincinnati, Ohio
23. St. Louis, Mo.
24. Washington, D.C.
25. Houston, Texas
26. Austin, Texas
27. Chesapeake, Va.
28. Providence, R.I.
29. Billings, Mont.
30. Raleigh, N.C.
31. Stockton, Calif.
32. Salt Lake City, Utah
33. Sioux Falls, S.D.
34. Atlanta, Ga.
35. Lincoln, Neb.
36. Jackson, Miss.
37. Wilmington, Del.
38. Baton Rouge, La.
39. Jersey City, N.J.
40. Nashville, Tenn.
41. Corpus Christi, Texas
42. New Orleans, La.
43. Memphis, Tenn.
44. Boston, Mass.
45. Portland, Ore.
46. Newark, N.J.
47. Detroit, Mich.
48. Lubbock, Texas
49. Anaheim, Calif.
50. Buffalo, N.Y.
51. Virginia Beach, Va.
52. Omaha, Neb.
53. New York, N.Y.
54. Louisville, Ky.
55. Greensboro, N.C.
56. San Diego, Calif.
57. Winston-Salem, N.C.
58. Portland, Maine
59. Honolulu, Hawaii
60. Manchester, N.H.
61. Riverside, Calif.
62. Lexington, Ky.
63. Anchorage, Alaska
64. Baltimore, Md.
65. Durham, N.C.
66. Denver, Colo.
67. San Bernardino, Calif.
68. Sacramento, Calif.
69. Fort Worth, Texas
70. Bakersfield, Calif.
71. Los Angeles, Calif.
72. Phoenix, Ariz.
73. Indianapolis, Ind.
74. Fresno, Calif.
75. Cleveland, Ohio
76. Birmingham, Ala.
77. Fort Wayne, Ind.
78. St. Petersburg, Fla.
79. Aurora, Colo.
80. Charlotte, N.C.
81. Colorado Springs, Colo.
82. Wichita, Kan.
83. Reno, Nev.
84. Orlando, Fla.
85. Kansas City, Mo.
86. Tucson, Ariz.
87. Tampa, Fla.
88. Miami, Fla.
89. Columbus, Ohio
90. Oklahoma City, Okla.
91. Toledo, Ohio
92. Boise City, Idaho
93. Las Vegas, Nev.
94. Tulsa, Okla.
95. Jacksonville, Fla.
96. Little Rock, Ark.
97. Cheyenne, Wyo.
98. Norfolk, Va.
99. Albuquerque, N.M.
100. Charleston, W.Va.