The 10 Worst States For Marriage (And The Best) - Zippia (2024)

Getting married can be the best (or worst) decision of your life.

From the marriage itself to the marriage ceremony, there is a lot of room for error.

Sometimes your beautiful outdoor ceremony turns into a big, wet mess. Other times, it’s the long-term financial stress of paying for that beautiful, but expensive wedding.

Of course, sometimes the marriage itself is a big mistake. Finances, family, and even where you live are just a few factors that can break wide open the cracks in a marriage.

We hit the data to find the absolute worst states for marriage. The results? Maybe some states should say “I don’t.”

How We Determined This

We ranked each state on 3 factors:

• Average wedding cost

• Divorce rate

• Yearly rainfall in inches

First, we looked at average wedding cost according to ValuePenguin. Weddings are expensive; Even if you do live happily ever after, it’s nice if the bill doesn’t last ever after.

After that, we examined each state’s divorce rate. We simply used data from the most recent ACS Census to find the percent of ever married couples who reported a divorce within the past year. Eat, pray, love and all, but let’s be real, a marriage ending is never a sign of a great marriage.

Finally, we took into account annual rainfall in inches. Rain may be rumored to be good luck on the wedding day- but when the aisle has turned to mud, you certainly won’t feel lucky.

1. Georgia

Average Wedding Cost: $19,142
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.35%
Rain Fall:50.72

Georgia is the worst state in the US for weddings. 1.35% of all Georgians who’ve ever been married had a divorce in the past year. 1.35% may not sound like a lot, but considering marriages can last many years, it’s pretty high. You know what else is high? Your chance of a wet, white wedding.

2. Louisiana

Average Wedding Cost: $16,842
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.28%
Rain Fall:60.09

In 2nd place is Louisiana. While the average wedding is only $16,842 in the bayou state, that doesn’t mean you should start planning your destination wedding unless you’re okay with a little rain. Louisiana sees an average 60.09 inches of rain annually-more than any state other than Hawaii.

3. Maryland

Average Wedding Cost: $27,498
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.18%
Rain Fall:44.64

Want to live happily ever after? The price is high in Maryland with the average wedding coming in at a hefty $27,498. Add in an unpleasantly high divorce rate combined with mediocre weather and it’s hard to hear the wedding bells over all the red flags.

4. Connecticut

Average Wedding Cost: $29,499
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.07%
Rain Fall:50.39

A wedding will cost you even more in Connecticut than in Maryland. Only better weather and a slightly lower divorce rate, earned Connecticut their slightly better ranking.

5. Alabama

Average Wedding Cost: $15,056
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.38%
Rain Fall:58.28

They say it’s Sweet Home Alabama, but does that make it a sweet place to get hitched? Judging from the numbers, maybe not so much. Alabama has one of the highest divorce rates in the country.

6. Massachusetts

Average Wedding Cost: $30,489
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.00%
Rain Fall:47.88

The average couple spends a staggering $30,489 on their wedding. For the average-sized wedding of 167 guests, that works out to $183 a pop. That’s a lot to spend for some fancy sheet cake and dry chicken. Especially if you’re one of the 1% of Massachusetts couples who said “I don’t” and got a divorce in the last year.

7. Hawaii

Average Wedding Cost: $25,747
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 0.93%
Rain Fall:63.7

Hawaii is a beautiful place and sought after wedding destination. However, judging from the rain and high costs maybe couples should think long and hard before saying “Aloha” to a Hawaiian wedding.

8. Arkansas

Average Wedding Cost: $12,426
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.60%
Rain Fall:50.78

Arkansas has the highest yearly divorce rate in the nation. While I can’t say what’s going on in those Arkansas marriages, the data shows it isn’t all great.

9. Virginia

Average Wedding Cost: $23,966
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.18%
Rain Fall:44.39

Virginia did lackluster in all 3 categories. The weddings aren’t highly affordable, the weather isn’t great, and the divorce rate is meh.

10. Delaware

Average Wedding Cost: $23,416
Percent Of Married Couples Who Got Divorced Last Year: 1.14%
Rain Fall:45.68

In 10th place is Delaware with a similar story to Virginia.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Look, what state you get married in won’t guarantee you a happy marriage or doom you to a miserable divorce. However, some states certainly have higher divorce rates.

Now, if you see high divorce rates and want to see dollar signs, you might want to consider a lucrative career as a couples’ counselor or divorce lawyer.

The Worst States For Weddings