Red States Beat Blue States in Divorce Rates – So Much for the Sanctity of Marriage

Red States Beat Blue States in Divorce Rates – So Much for the Sanctity of Marriage

by Simone Sanner

A new study, "Red States, Blue States, and Divorce: Understanding the Impact of Conservative Protestantism on Regional Variation in Divorce Rates," due to be released later this month by University of Austin professor Jennifer Glass, attempts to explain why divorce is more common in red states.

While poverty has previously been to blame for the major contributing factor to why red state marriages seem less likely to stay the course, Ms. Glass says her study indicates otherwise, saying conservative religious culture is the major contributing factor thanks to "the social institutions they create" that "decrease marital stability."

Glass states that forcing kids to marry young, avoiding co-habitation before marriage, and insisting on abstinence-only sex education translate into having kids at earlier ages, and shorter-lived marriages.

Also some bad news for non-religious folks living in red states: even if you don't practice a faith, you're still more prone toward divorce because the culture surrounding "conservative Protestantism" permeates every aspect of everyday life.

Here's where you can find a blue state if you're thinking about moving, and an analysis of quality of living state-by-state.

If you're looking to open a business in a red state, check out this article about lowered economic opportunity in red states.

h/t Huffington Post

Simone Sanner