Divorce Rate in California for Every City & County (Updated 2023)

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Background Checks | June 14, 2024

Man standing between a state of California and computer showing the divorce rate in California with his hands on his hips.

For some time, many people have believed that the divorce rate in California was the highest in the country. However, when looking at every city and county in the state, California is actually below the national average divorce rate.

Although the state does not report divorce records the same as every state, looking at county and city data can give a good idea of what the actual divorce rate is.

The following updated guide can show anyone how to find out divorce dates without costs, how to look up divorce records in California, and how the state compares with others.

However, for those who want to skip the lists below, looking up divorce records can be fast and easy using online records locators.

What Percentage of Marriages End in Divorce in California?

Many individuals have the perception of California has an extremely high divorce rate compared to the rest of the country. According to the Census Bureau,3 a little over 33% of individuals that have been married at some point have been divorced at least once.

Close up image of the definition of divorce

(Image: CQF-avocat5)

Despite its reputation, the divorce rate in California seems to be slightly lower than this number.

What Is the Divorce Rate in the World? (What Is the National Divorce Rate in America?)

There are a few different ways to look at divorce statistics but the most common, which is used by the Census Bureau to gather divorce data,1 but the most common is to look at the number of individuals who have been divorced at all, rather than limiting the scope to only include individuals who have been married.

Although the common number that many people are familiar with when it comes to the percentage of marriages that end in divorce is 50% this number has been declining steadily for over a decade and is likely closer to 40% these days.

Use the table below to learn about the divorce rates in various counties in California.

Divorce Rates in California CountiesApproximate Number of Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Alameda County, CAAbout 128,060 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Alpine County, CAAbout 95 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Amador County, CAAbout 3,100 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Butte County, CAAbout 14,113 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Calaveras County, CAAbout 3,534 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Colusa County, CAAbout 1,667 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Contra Costa County, CAAbout 88,350 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Del Norte County, CAAbout 2,128 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in El Dorado County, CAAbout 15,124 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Fresno County, CAAbout 77,558 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Glenn County, CAAbout 2,257 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Humboldt County, CAAbout 10,146 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Imperial County, CAAbout 13,703 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Inyo County, CAAbout 1,391 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Kern County, CAAbout 69,882 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Kings County, CAAbout 11,978 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Lake County, CAAbout 4,902 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Lassen County, CAAbout 2,310 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Los Angeles County, CAAbout 755,037 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Madera County, CAAbout 12,061 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Marin County, CAAbout 19,479 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Mariposa County, CAAbout 1,262 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Mendocino County, CAAbout 6,445 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Merced County, CAAbout 21,911 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Modoc County, CAAbout 684 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Mono County, CAAbout 1,110 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Monterey County, CAAbout 33,014 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Napa County, CAAbout 10,230 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Nevada County, CAAbout 7,638 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Orange County, CAAbout 241,292 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Placer County, CAAbout 31,639 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Plumas County, CAAbout 1,444 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Riverside County, CAAbout 193,405 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Sacramento County, CAAbout 120,992 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Benito County, CAAbout 5,077 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Bernardino County, CAAbout 168,720 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Diego County, CAAbout 254,729 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Francisco County, CAAbout 67,192 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Joaquin County, CAAbout 60,124 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Luis Obispo County, CAAbout 21,462 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in San Mateo County, CAAbout 57,775 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Barbara County, CAAbout 34,101 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Clara County, CAAbout 145,494 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Cruz County, CAAbout 34,101 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Shasta County, CAAbout 13,771 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Sierra County, CAAbout 228 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Siskiyou County, CAAbout 3,306 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Solano County, CAAbout 34,458 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Sonoma County, CAAbout 36,586 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Stanislaus County, CAAbout 42,431 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Sutter County, CAAbout 7,509 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Tehama County, CAAbout 5,191 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Trinity County, CAAbout 866 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Tulare County, CAAbout 35,796 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Ventura County, CAAbout 63,810 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Yolo County, CAAbout 16,849 Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Yuba County, CAAbout 6,232 Divorced Persons

Looking at cities in California reveals very similar trends to the counties with no city having a significantly greater portion of their population divorced.

Divorce Rates in California Cities

Divorce Statistics in California by CityNumber of Divorced Persons
Divorce Rate in Los Angeles, CAAbout 301,971 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in San Diego, CAAbout 107,502 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in San Jose, CAAbout 78,234 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in San Francisco, CAAbout 66,485 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Fresno, CAAbout 39,984 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Sacramento, CAAbout 38,266 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Long Beach, CAAbout 35,112 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Oakland, CAAbout 32,118 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Bakersfield, CAAbout 28,872 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Anaheim, CAAbout 26,828 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Ana, CAAbout 25,278 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Riverside, CAAbout 24,898 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Stockton, CAAbout 23,644 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Irvine, CAAbout 20,725 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Chula Vista, CAAbout 20,429 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Fremont, CAAbout 17,845 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in San Bernardino, CAAbout 16,477 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Modesto, CAAbout 16,302 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Fontana, CAAbout 16,165 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Clarita, CAAbout 16,150 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Moreno Valley, CAAbout 15,861 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Oxnard, CAAbout 15,785 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Huntington Beach, CAAbout 15,185 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Glendale, CAAbout 15,154 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Rosa, CAAbout 13,558 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Ontario, CAAbout 13,534 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Rancho Cucamonga, CAAbout 13,528 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Oceanside, CAAbout 13,353 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Elk Grove, CAAbout 13,178 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Corona, CAAbout 12,776 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Hayward, CAAbout 12,069 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Lancaster, CAAbout 11,985 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Salinas, CAAbout 11,864 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Palmdale, CAAbout 11,643 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Sunnyvale, CAAbout 11,598 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Pomona, CAAbout 11,484 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Escondido, CAAbout 11,430 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Torrance, CAAbout 10,974 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Pasadena, CAAbout 10,792 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Fullerton, CAAbout 10,716 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Orange, CAAbout 10,587 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Roseville, CAAbout 10,556 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Visalia, CAAbout 10,116 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Concord, CAAbout 9,819 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Thousand Oaks, CAAbout 9,698 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Santa Clara, CAAbout 9,629 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Simi Valley, CAAbout 9,561 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Berkeley, CAAbout 9,348 divorced persons
Divorce Rate in Victorville, CAAbout 9,343 divorced persons

When looking at the data for the entire state, there are few factors that seem to indicate whether or not a county is more or less likely to have an above-average amount of divorces.

One of the biggest factors that will determine if a divorce is more likely is what state the couple lives in, rather than where in the state. Regardless of environmental factors, divorces, in general, are on the decline all over the country, including in California.

With the total number of marriages ending in divorce being on the decline, this statistic is extremely evident when looking at historical data regarding the divorce rate in California.

Is the California Divorce Rate 75 Percent? CA Divorce Rate by Year (Last 20 Years)

When wondering what percentage of marriages end in divorce in California, any people mistakenly believe that the California divorce rate is 75%. It isn’t.

Divorce Statistics in California by YearDivorce Rate
Divorce Rate in California 20000.4% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20010.4% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20020.39% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20030.38% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20050.37% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20060.36% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20070.37% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20080.36% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20090.35% of the total population
Divorce Rate in California 20100.36% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20110.36% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20120.34% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20130.33% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20140.32% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20150.31% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20160.30% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20170.29% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20180.29% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20190.27% of the total population
Divorce Rates in California 20200.23% of the total population

Divorce Rate in America Statistics

When looking at the country as a whole it’s clear that the divorce rate in California is actually well below the national average. Nevada and Maine are actually the states with the highest divorce rates.

Divorce Rate by StateDivorce Rate
Divorce Rate Alabama (AL)12%
Divorce Rate Alaska (AK)12%
Divorce Rate Arizona (AZ)12%
Divorce Rate Arkansas (AR)13%
Divorce Rate California (CA)9%
Divorce Rate Colorado (CO)12%
Divorce Rate Connecticut (CT)11%
Divorce Rate Delaware (DE)11%
Divorce Rate Florida (FL)13%
Divorce Rate Georgia (GA)11%
Divorce Rate Hawaii (HI)9%
Divorce Rate Idaho (ID)12%
Divorce Rate Illinois (IL)10%
Divorce Rate Indiana (IN)12%
Divorce Rate Iowa (IA)11%
Divorce Rate Kansas (KS)11%
Divorce Rate Kentucky (KY)13%
Divorce Rate Louisiana (LA)12%
Divorce Rate Maine (ME)14%
Divorce Rate Massachusetts (MA)10%
Divorce Rate Maryland (MD)10%
Divorce Rate Michigan (MI)12%
Divorce Rate Minnesota (MN)10%
Divorce Rate Mississippi (MS)12%
Divorce Rate Missouri (MO)12%
Divorce Rate Montana (MN)12%
Divorce Rate Nebraska (NE)10%
Divorce Rate Nevada (NV)14%
Divorce Rate New Hampshire (NH)12%
Divorce Rate New Jersey (NJ)9%
Divorce Rate New Mexico (NM)13%
Divorce Rate New York (NY)9%
Divorce Rate North Carolina (NC)11%
Divorce Rate North Dakota (ND)10%
Divorce Rate Ohio (OH)12%
Divorce Rate Oklahoma (OK)13%
Divorce Rate Oregon (OR)13%
Divorce Rate Pennsylvania (PA)10%
Divorce Rate Rhode Island (RI)11%
Divorce Rate South Carolina (SC)11%
Divorce Rate South Dakota (SD)11%
Divorce Rate Tennessee (TN)12%
Divorce Rate Texas (TX)11%
Divorce Rate Utah (UT)9%
Divorce Rate Vermont (VT)13%
Divorce Rate Virginia (VI)10%
Divorce Rate Washington (WA)12%
Divorce Rate West Virginia (WV)13%
Divorce Rate Wisconsin (WI)11%
Divorce Rate Wyoming (WY)13%

Without a federal or state agency properly gathering detailed statistics on divorce rates across the country, it can be difficult to pin down what exactly causes states like Maine and Nevada to be significantly higher.2 Obviously environmental factors such as religious demographics, income level, rural vs. urban marriages, and more can all play a factor.

One of the biggest factors that can lead to a higher divorce rate is the age at which the marriage takes place. Generally, the younger the age of the married parties, the more they will be divorced. Looking at the table below there is a clear trend of fewer divorces the older the individuals get.

Divorce Rate By Age: Divorce Rate in California

Divorce Rate by AgeDivorce Rate
15-242.7%
25-342.3%
35-442.1%
35-541.8%
55-641.2%
65+0.5%

Top Reasons for Divorce

Although the geographic factors that lead to a higher divorce rate are unclear, looking at the common reasons for divorce can share some insight into divorce statistics across the U.S. Numerous independent and government4 bodies have conducted studies to determine the most common reasons that couples say led to a divorce.

Cropped image of two people standing separated

(Image: Tumisu6)

Among the top reasons are:

  • Lack of Commitment
  • Infidelity
  • Too much conflict
  • Getting married too young
  • Financial problems
  • Substance Abuse
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Health Problems
  • Lack of Support from Families
  • Religious Differences

Many of these will come as little surprise. Of course, marital problems can be extremely complex and trying to narrow down the problem so one specific thing is unrealistic, this still gives insight into the common problems that result in a divorce.

Frequently Asked Questions About Divorce Rate in California

Is the California Divorce Rate 75 Percent?

For many years it was reported that the divorce rate in California was far higher than the rest of the country, however even at its peak it is unlikely that it hit 75%. Today, the divorce rate in California is lower than much of the country meaning the amount of California marriages that end in divorce is probably closer to 45%.

What Is the National Divorce Rate in America?

The national divorce rate in America is only gathered using census data which asks individuals if they have been divorced. Using this data, the census bureau has determined that approximately 7.6 out of every 1,000 people in the United States have been divorced.

What Is the Divorce Rate in the World?

Since every country reports this information differently or doesn’t report it at all, it can be hard to say the exact divorce rate in the world. Many experts believe that around 41% of all marriages worldwide end in divorce.


References

1United States Government. (2022). Families and Living Arrangements. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from <https://www.census.gov/topics/families.html>

2United States Government. (2022). How State Marriage and Divorce Rates Stack Up. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from <https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/02/how-state-marriage-and-divorce-rates-stack-up.html>

3United States Government. (2022). Number, Timing and Duration of Marriages and Divorces. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/marriages-and-divorces.html#:~:text=Among%20ever%2Dmarried%20adults%2020,compared%20with%206%25%20of%20men>

4United States Government. (2022). Reasons for Divorce and Recollections of Premarital Intervention: Implications for Improving Relationship Education. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012696/>

5Photo by CQF-avocat. Cropped, Resized, Changed Format. Pixabay. Retrieved June 14, 2024, from <https://pixabay.com/photos/divorce-justice-dictionary-right-2753151/>

6Photo by Tumisu. Cropped, Resized, Changed Format. Pixabay. Retrieved June 14, 2024, from <https://pixabay.com/photos/divorce-separation-argument-angry-6930723/>

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