Question of the Day - 30 October 2017

Nevada’s rate of failed marriages is the highest in the nation. According to the 2010 Census, nearly 14% of the residents are survivors of failed marriages.

Also in 2010, Men’s Health magazine ranked Las Vegas in the number-two spot, right behind Cheyenne, Wyoming, on a list of 100 cities with the likelihood that marriages would end in divorce.

The magazine based its findings on divorce laws, the percentage of residents who have split up, and the number of licensed marriage and family therapists.

As for why, well, one can never really know for sure, especially when it comes to relationship issues, but here are some possibilities.

As we saw in yesterday’s answer, Nevada divorces (the new euphemism, as popularized by Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, is "conscious uncoupling") are quicker and easier than those in many other states, and they have been for more than 100 years. Thus, Nevada has a well-earned reputation as a divorce capital and no doubt people still come here and set up residency for 42 days to qualify for no-fault divorces.

Similarly, the ease of getting married here could be assumed to promote impromptu or hasty legal couplings, without much thought to the probability of long-term success. Well-publicized examples include the shortest celebrity marriage on record, Britney Spears and her childhood friend Jason Alexander, who tied the knot for 55 hours. And who can forget the connubial disaster between Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra, which dragged on and on for five months, though Rodman filed for an annulment after nine days?

Another cause is that couples continue to move to Nevada, especially Las Vegas, for second (or third or fourth) chances in lives that have bottomed out elsewhere. So they often arrive under financial duress and other stresses. At the same time, recent arrivals usually don’t have friends or family nearby, which often hinders an ability to alleviate the stresses.

The same issues are true for single people who move here. Men and women without family or close friends might be more susceptible to ill-advised marriages (unconscious coupling?) simply to ward off isolation and loneliness.

We’ve also seen statistics on the jobs with the highest divorce rates. According to dailyinfographic.com, dancers/choreographers for some reason have the highest, at nearly 44%. Bartenders, massage therapists, and casino cashiers are second through fourth, at 38%-34%, respectively. So four out of the top five most divorce-prone jobs, according to one website anyway, are common in the Silver State.

Finally, lifestyle is a conspicuous factor. Gambling and drinking, two common activities in Las Vegas, certainly exacerbate relationship issues. Not many marriages survive alcoholism and/or compulsive gambling. And again, many people who move here end up succumbing to these and other relationship-destroying temptations.

All in all, Las Vegas can be a tough place to sustain a marriage, something about which couples considering moving here, especially to retire, should think long and hard.