Divorce: Nevada’s Wild Side Vs. Utah’s Conservative Values

Utah and Nevada don't have a ton in common.

Gambling is legal in the Silver State, but a big no-no in the Beehive State.

Nevada has showgirls and adult stores. Utah has the Tabernacle Choir and Deseret Industries.

Nevada has legalized prostitution and no curfew. Utah has chastity and kids can be arrested if out after midnight (Utah law states that minors under the age of 18 cannot be out in public between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m.).

Nevada leads the nation in divorce rates and Utah marriages last forever ... or do they?

A recent study shows that Nevada's divorce rate -- the number of marriages that end in official declaration of divorce -- is No. 1 in the country. Nationally, 41 percent of all marriages end in divorce and Nevada (50 percent) and Utah (44) both exceed that mark.

One reason for the high divorce rate in Nevada is easily revealed when you look at the most common occupations for divorce -- Gaming (casino) managers, bartenders and professional dancers are the top three jobs in which marriages don't seem to last.

But what about Utah?

According to a study on divorce.com, "The most widespread reason why Utah couples file for divorce is marital infidelity. About 10-15% of married women and up to 25% of men cheat in their marriages."

A new development, and not a good one, is something called the "gray divorce."

The newish trend features an uptick in couples who, after raising children and finding themselves as empty-nesters, decide they no longer want to be married.

It's worth mentioning that divorce rates in this articles are based on divorces vs. marriages in the different states.

For instance, the actual rate of divorce in Utah is about 4 per 1,000 people. That compares to about 9 marriages per 1,000 people, thus you get a divorce ratio of 4-to-9, or about 44 percent.

It's actually a bit of a misconception that 44 percent of all marriages in Utah end in divorce.

If the raw numbers were used correctly, Oklahoma and Arkansas would be the true divorce capitals of the United States, both topping 13 percent.

For more on this, go to the world population website.

By the way, the occupations least likely to correlate with divorces: farmers, clergymen and podiatrists.

Foot doctors? Who knew?

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