29 Jul The States with the Shortest Marriages

The divorce rate has been slowly declining for the last 20 years, according to CNBC analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every 10 couples who got married in 2000, there were about five marriages that ended in divorce or annulment that year. In 2021, there were only four divorces for every 10 marriages in the U.S. – a drop of about 20%. Not all states report annual data to the CDC. In 2021, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota and New Mexico did not report divorces, and in 2000, California, Indiana, Louisiana and Oklahoma did not report divorces. Of the states that did report marriage data, different parts of the country are seeing different trends, according to USAFacts, which analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data.

The 10 places in the U.S. with the shortest marriages

1. Washington, DC

Median duration of marriage: 10.5 years
Median age of first marriage: 31.95

2. Alaska

Median duration of marriage: 16.8 years
Median age of first marriage: 28

3. Texas

Median duration of marriage: 17.6 years
Median age of first marriage: 28.45

4. Nevada

Median duration of marriage: 17.7 years
Median age of first marriage: 30.45

5. Utah

Median duration of marriage: 18 years
Median age of first marriage: 25.8

6. Colorado

Median duration of marriage: 18.2 years
Median age of first marriage: 29.55

7. Oklahoma

Median duration of marriage: 18.2 years
Median age of first marriage: 27.4

8. Washington

Median duration of marriage: 18.3 years
Median age of first marriage: 28.8

9. Idaho

Median duration of marriage: 18.6 years
Median age of first marriage: 26.8

10. Georgia

Median duration of marriage: 18.8 years
Median age of first marriage: 29.2

The 10 U.S. states with the longest marriages

1. New Hampshire

Median duration of marriage: 21.5 years
Median age of first marriage: 30.1

2. Maine

Median duration of marriage: 21.8 years
Median age of first marriage: 28.8

3. Pennsylvania

Median duration of marriage: 21.8 years
Median age of first marriage: 30

4. South Dakota

Median duration of marriage: 21.8 years
Median age of first marriage: 28.65

5. Iowa

Median duration of marriage: 22 years
Median age of first marriage: 28.45

6. Michigan

Median duration of marriage: 22 years
Median age of first marriage: 29.45

7. Montana

Median duration of marriage: 22.1 years
Median age of first marriage: 28.95

8. Vermont

Median duration of marriage: 22.4 years
Median age of first marriage: 30.6

9. Wisconsin

Median duration of marriage: 22.5 years
Median age of first marriage: 29.55

10. West Virginia

Median duration of marriage: 22.6 years
Median age of first marriage: 29.2