Question of the Day - 16 June 2025

First question: Las Vegas is often called the "divorce capital" due to Nevada's lenient divorce laws, but this is more a historical reputation than the current reality. Nevada, particularly Reno, was dubbed the "divorce capital of the world" in the early 20th century, as it offered quick no-fault divorces with a minimal residency requirement (as short as six weeks as early as the 1930s). Las Vegas later inherited this nickname due to its prominence, plus its association with fast marriages.

Today, no reliable data crowns Las Vegas as the divorce capital of the U.S. or world. U.S. divorce rates are tracked by state, not city, and some states, like Nevada, track divorces against the total population (per capita), while others, like Arkansas, measure them against married women. But the latest study we saw ranks the top five states for divorces as Arkansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Nevada wasn't even in the top 10. 

Thus, we'd say that the "divorce capital" label persists more as a cultural trope, tied to Vegas’ image of impulsivity, than a statistical fact.

As for what might've happened to your friends' marriage, well, only they can really know for sure, but here are some possibilities.

Could they have been on the rocks and moved to Nevada, specifically, to get divorced? That wouldn't be unheard of. Nevada divorces are quicker and easier than those in many other states and they have been for more than 100 years. No doubt people still come here and set up residency for 42 days to qualify for no-fault divorces.

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 sudden challenges of relocating.

(The same issues, by the way, are true for single people who move here. Men and women without family or close friends might be more susceptible to impromptu and ill-advised legal couplings, without much thought to the probability of long-term success, 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. Many people, if they don't suffer from addictions when they 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 relocation, especially to retire, should think long and hard.