If you’re getting divorced, you might be wondering just how common your predicament is. In this post, we’re going to take a look at some surprising Texas divorce statistics that paint a broader picture of marriage and divorce in the Lone Star State.
Are couples in Texas more or less likely to get divorced than in other US states? Are women or men more likely to file for divorce? What's the main reason most couples cite for splitting up in Texas?
Let's answer these questions and more by taking a look at the most fascinating data and stats about Texas divorce.
Even though the divorce rate in Texas has been trending downward steadily for more than ten years, the divorce rate here is actually higher than the national average.
In Texas, there were 6.9 divorces per 1,000 people in 2022, according to Axios. By contrast, the U.S. Census Bureau puts the U.S. divorce rate at 3.2 per 1000 people.
In Texas, the percentage of men who have been divorced is lower than the percentage of women who have been divorced.
Here are some stats that show this discrepancy, sourced from Divorce.com:
This stat doesn’t just apply to the Lone Star State– it’s also true on a national level. Women are responsible for initiating nearly 70% of divorces in the U.S. according to a study from the American Sociological Association.
To learn more about why women tend to file for divorce more than men, check out my recent post, 6 Reasons Women are More Likely to Initiate Divorce in Texas.
There are usually lots of complex reasons that a couple will get divorced. Sure, there might be financial problems, infidelity, or other common issues, but it’s rarely something that can be so simply boiled down.
At the same time, when you file for divorce in Texas, you have to choose one of a handful of legally accepted reasons for marriage, also known as grounds. Some of these grounds are no-fault grounds, meaning that neither spouse is blaming the other for the dissolution of the marriage. Others, however, are fault-based grounds that require the accusing spouse to provide proof of the claims they’re making.
Even if one or both parties engaged in behavior that could be used to support a fault-based case, many couples choose to file on the grounds of insupportability. In fact, this is the most common ground for divorce in Texas. Going this route can make divorce cheaper and faster compared to filing on fault-based grounds.
To learn more about the most commonly cited reason for divorce in Texas, check out my article What Are Grounds of Insupportability in Texas Divorces?
Divorce is always going to be more complicated when there are children involved. Not only do you have to think about how you and your spouse will split up assets and debts and whether or not you will agree to contractual spousal support, but you also have to consider child custody and support.
In the state of Texas, nearly half of all divorces involve children that are under the age of eighteen. According to one statistic, more than 40% of women took on guardianship of their children after divorce, while only a little over of 18% of men did the same.
One interesting Texas divorce stat is that couples who attend religious services together are actually less likely to get divorced. That being said, the particular religious group that the couple belongs to can also have an impact on their divorce rate as a group.
In Texas, the divorce rate for a few different Christian denominations is as follows:
The population of Texas is predominantly Christian, with 77% of residents following the faith.
In the United States, the median age for individuals to get married the first time is 28.6 for women and 30.6 for men in 2021.
However, people in Texas tend to head down the aisle a bit earlier. The median age for men to get married for the first time in Texas is 28.5, while the median age for Texas women to tie the knot is 26.6.
Do you have to wait a certain amount of time to get hitched again in Texas after divorce? Check out our post about how long after divorce you can get remarried in the Lone Star State.
The median duration of a marriage in Texas is 17.5 years. While that sounds like a pretty impressive run, all things considered, this is actually lower than the national average. According to research from Bowling Green State University, the median duration of a first marriage for couples in the U.S. is 21 years.
Whether we’re talking about Texas, another state, or the rest of the country, a pattern emerges when we look at second and third marriages. With each new marriage that an individual engages in, the median duration gets shorter and shorter.
Are you wondering what's going to happen to your property after divorce? Check out our post about community property law in Texas.
When you and your spouse first start talking about divorce, one of the first things that probably pops into your mind is money. How much, exactly, is this going to cost?
We all know that getting divorced isn’t cheap, but you might be surprised to learn that the average cost of divorce in Texas is between $11k and $13k. This is according to one study that was conducted between 2015 and 2019.
Other studies, however, place this average number even higher. One found that divorces that don’t involve children have an average cost of $15,600, while those that involve children cost $23,500 on average.
If these numbers are raising your heart rate, remember that these are just the average costs.
There are things you can do to keep the total price of divorce down, including:
We have a number of resources available for people who are looking to save money during the divorce process.
Check out these articles to learn more about your options:
Taking a look at some of the surprising statistics about divorce in Texas can be a useful exercise for a number of reasons. On the one hand, it can help you get a better sense of whether your divorce is fairly typical or if your situation is a bit more unusual. On the other hand, it can help you know what to expect from each stage of the divorce process.
Divorce is never easy, but the whole experience can be much less stressful if you’re knowledgeable about the way divorce works in Texas. For more resources and helpful articles, make sure you check out our Texas Divorce Laws blog!
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