Cities with highest divorce rate in Florida research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Florida’s most recent Census data to determine the divorce rate for each city in Florida based on the percentage of currently divorced residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the highest divorce rate in Florida is Starke based on the most recent Census data.
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Starke is 13.0% Divorced.
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The city with the lowest divorce rate in Florida is Marco Island.
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Marco Island is 0.0% Divorced.
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Florida is 3.0% Divorced.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
There are some 519,228 people living in Florida over fifteen years of age who are divorced. You can compare that to the 28,339,199 Americans who are currently divorced in 2024.
Many people decide to run away – or split up – across the Sunshine State.
Isn’t the divorce rate in America close to 50%? Yes indeed. But we’re measuring something else; we are looking at counts and percentages of people over 15 years old who are currently divorced. That 50% statistic is for the percentage of people who have ever been divorced.
For today’s analysis, the focus will be on the number of currently divorced people.
So now that we have you biting your nails, rethinking your worldview, and pulling out your hair, let’s look at the places in Florida with the highest rates of divorcees.
The 10 Cities In Florida With The Highest Divorce Rates
Let’s quickly recap before we dive into the Saturday Night Science behind the data.
What is the city in Florida with the highest divorce rate? That would be Starke, with 13.0% of people over 15 years of age being divorced, per the most recent census data.
What is the overall Florida divorce rate? According to the 2018-2022 Community Survey, the overall divorce rate in Florida is 3.0%, which compares to the US divorce rate of 10.9%.
Alrighty, on to how we calculated the places with the highest divorce rates in Florida.
For more Florida reading, check out:
The 10 Places With The Highest Divorce Rate In Florida For 2024
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Population: 5,756
Divorce Rate: 13.0%
Divorcees: 598
Median Income: $42,976
More on Starke: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 12,307
Divorce Rate: 11.0%
Divorcees: 1,083
Median Income: $46,172
More on Lake City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,471
Divorce Rate: 10.0%
Divorcees: 837
Median Income: $30,945
More on Palatka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,072
Divorce Rate: 10.0%
Divorcees: 485
Median Income: $56,455
More on Defuniak Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 9,047
Divorce Rate: 9.0%
Divorcees: 651
Median Income: $67,035
More on Orange Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,319
Divorce Rate: 8.0%
Divorcees: 340
Median Income: $44,922
More on Okeechobee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,879
Divorce Rate: 8.0%
Divorcees: 440
Median Income: $45,833
More on Perry: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 12,919
Divorce Rate: 8.0%
Divorcees: 826
Median Income: $40,908
More on Holly Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 19,424
Divorce Rate: 8.0%
Divorcees: 1,243
Median Income: $60,974
More on Bartow: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,602
Divorce Rate: 8.0%
Divorcees: 486
Median Income: $42,282
More on Inverness: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Places In Florida That Get Un-Hitched The Most
Since this is the 58th category of rankings we are compiling for the site, we had a pretty good idea of where to find data on marriage and divorce in America. We used Saturday Night Science to look at the U.S. Census Bureau on divorce rates. Because who likes tracking misery more than the U.S. government?
Specifically, we looked at the 2018-2022 American Community Survey table S1201 — Marital Status.
Pretty straightforward on that front — we just had to extract the following column of data:
- Population 15 Years and Over -> Divorced
There are some interesting/fun/sad data like .1% of female Americans aged 15-19 are divorced, but 0% of males (That’s probably a rounding issue, but still).
But the national data is for another day. Today, the analysis focuses on the 220 places in Florida with a population of over 5,000.
We ranked each place by the percentage of divorcees over 15 years of age from highest to lowest. We crowned the divorce capital of Florida the place with the highest incidence of divorcees, Starke.
And if you’re trying to avoid divorce, check out Marco Island, the city with the lowest divorce rate in Florida.
We updated this article for 2024 and this list is our fifth time ranking the cities in Florida with the highest divorce rates.
Getting Some Closure In Florida After Untying The Know
Besides just coming up with what we thought would be a great new blog/book title, “Untying the Knot In Florida: Life After Divorce,” we now have a sense of what places in the Sunshine State don’t pay much attention to the whole “’til death do we part” phrase.
The cities with the highest divorce rate in Florida are Starke, Lake City, Palatka, DeFuniak Springs, Orange Park, Okeechobee, Perry, Holly Hill, Bartow, and Inverness.
Try to keep in mind that the reason cities rank where they do in Florida could be because of the age, education, and income distribution, as all of those things impact the rate of divorce.
And that’s probably for the best. Getting out of a toxic relationship is much better than staying in it.
Just make sure you have your running shoes ready to go.
For more Florida reading, check out:
Cities With The Highest Divorce Rates In Florida
| Rank | City | Population | Divorcees | Divorce Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starke, FL | 5,756 | 598 | 13.0% |
| 2 | Lake City, FL | 12,307 | 1,083 | 11.0% |
| 3 | Palatka, FL | 10,471 | 837 | 10.0% |
| 4 | Defuniak Springs, FL | 6,072 | 485 | 10.0% |
| 5 | Orange Park, FL | 9,047 | 651 | 9.0% |
| 6 | Okeechobee, FL | 5,319 | 340 | 8.0% |
| 7 | Perry, FL | 6,879 | 440 | 8.0% |
| 8 | Holly Hill, FL | 12,919 | 826 | 8.0% |
| 9 | Bartow, FL | 19,424 | 1,243 | 8.0% |
| 10 | Inverness, FL | 7,602 | 486 | 8.0% |
| 11 | Arcadia, FL | 7,480 | 478 | 8.0% |
| 12 | Live Oak, FL | 6,811 | 435 | 8.0% |
| 13 | Quincy, FL | 7,811 | 499 | 8.0% |
| 14 | Belleview, FL | 5,438 | 304 | 7.0% |
| 15 | Springfield, FL | 8,295 | 464 | 7.0% |
| 16 | Gulf Breeze, FL | 6,372 | 356 | 7.0% |
| 17 | Marianna, FL | 6,681 | 374 | 7.0% |
| 18 | Alachua, FL | 10,570 | 591 | 7.0% |
| 19 | Pensacola, FL | 54,059 | 2,594 | 6.0% |
| 20 | Auburndale, FL | 16,432 | 788 | 6.0% |
| 21 | Ocala, FL | 63,504 | 3,048 | 6.0% |
| 22 | Dade City, FL | 7,221 | 346 | 6.0% |
| 23 | Newberry, FL | 7,401 | 355 | 6.0% |
| 24 | Plant City, FL | 39,655 | 1,903 | 6.0% |
| 25 | Daytona Beach, FL | 73,329 | 2,933 | 5.0% |
| 26 | Avon Park, FL | 9,789 | 391 | 5.0% |
| 27 | Pahokee, FL | 5,548 | 221 | 5.0% |
| 28 | Green Cove Springs, FL | 9,758 | 390 | 5.0% |
| 29 | Sebring, FL | 11,006 | 440 | 5.0% |
| 30 | Macclenny, FL | 7,354 | 294 | 5.0% |
| 31 | Jacksonville, FL | 950,203 | 38,008 | 5.0% |
| 32 | Fort Meade, FL | 5,133 | 205 | 5.0% |
| 33 | Panama City, FL | 34,254 | 1,370 | 5.0% |
| 34 | Winter Haven, FL | 50,778 | 2,031 | 5.0% |
| 35 | Lake Wales, FL | 16,455 | 658 | 5.0% |
| 36 | Fort Pierce, FL | 47,153 | 1,886 | 5.0% |
| 37 | Pembroke Park, FL | 6,266 | 200 | 4.0% |
| 38 | Pinellas Park, FL | 53,352 | 1,707 | 4.0% |
| 39 | Opa-Locka, FL | 16,230 | 519 | 4.0% |
| 40 | Lake Alfred, FL | 6,555 | 209 | 4.0% |
| 41 | Tampa, FL | 388,768 | 12,440 | 4.0% |
| 42 | Zephyrhills, FL | 17,575 | 562 | 4.0% |
| 43 | Fernandina Beach, FL | 13,028 | 416 | 4.0% |
| 44 | Sanford, FL | 61,272 | 1,960 | 4.0% |
| 45 | Tallahassee, FL | 198,259 | 6,344 | 4.0% |
| 46 | Edgewater, FL | 23,138 | 740 | 4.0% |
| 47 | Riviera Beach, FL | 37,668 | 1,205 | 4.0% |
| 48 | Lake Mary, FL | 16,636 | 532 | 4.0% |
| 49 | Dundee, FL | 5,373 | 171 | 4.0% |
| 50 | St. Petersburg, FL | 259,343 | 8,298 | 4.0% |
| 51 | Wildwood, FL | 15,735 | 503 | 4.0% |
| 52 | Rockledge, FL | 27,808 | 889 | 4.0% |
| 53 | Lakeland, FL | 114,404 | 3,660 | 4.0% |
| 54 | Leesburg, FL | 27,226 | 871 | 4.0% |
| 55 | Miami Gardens, FL | 111,618 | 3,571 | 4.0% |
| 56 | Clewiston, FL | 7,252 | 232 | 4.0% |
| 57 | Key West, FL | 26,078 | 834 | 4.0% |
| 58 | Cocoa, FL | 19,073 | 610 | 4.0% |
| 59 | West Park, FL | 15,074 | 482 | 4.0% |
| 60 | Surfside, FL | 5,625 | 180 | 4.0% |
| 61 | Deland, FL | 38,392 | 1,228 | 4.0% |
| 62 | Fruitland Park, FL | 8,219 | 263 | 4.0% |
| 63 | Maitland, FL | 19,266 | 616 | 4.0% |
| 64 | High Springs, FL | 6,283 | 201 | 4.0% |
| 65 | Belle Glade, FL | 16,896 | 540 | 4.0% |
| 66 | Brooksville, FL | 8,981 | 287 | 4.0% |
| 67 | Palmetto, FL | 13,384 | 321 | 3.0% |
| 68 | South Daytona, FL | 13,132 | 315 | 3.0% |
| 69 | Melbourne, FL | 84,982 | 2,039 | 3.0% |
| 70 | Lantana, FL | 11,703 | 280 | 3.0% |
| 71 | Temple Terrace, FL | 26,818 | 643 | 3.0% |
| 72 | Sebastian, FL | 25,266 | 606 | 3.0% |
| 73 | Lauderhill, FL | 73,987 | 1,775 | 3.0% |
| 74 | Satellite Beach, FL | 11,176 | 268 | 3.0% |
| 75 | Freeport, FL | 5,858 | 140 | 3.0% |
| 76 | Safety Harbor, FL | 17,087 | 410 | 3.0% |
| 77 | Orlando, FL | 307,738 | 7,385 | 3.0% |
| 78 | Bradenton, FL | 55,795 | 1,339 | 3.0% |
| 79 | Sarasota, FL | 55,508 | 1,332 | 3.0% |
| 80 | Dania Beach, FL | 31,700 | 760 | 3.0% |
| 81 | Longwood, FL | 15,628 | 375 | 3.0% |
| 82 | Gainesville, FL | 142,414 | 3,417 | 3.0% |
| 83 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 182,673 | 4,384 | 3.0% |
| 84 | Lady Lake, FL | 16,047 | 385 | 3.0% |
| 85 | Fort Walton Beach, FL | 20,919 | 502 | 3.0% |
| 86 | Altamonte Springs, FL | 45,772 | 1,098 | 3.0% |
| 87 | Oakland Park, FL | 44,056 | 1,057 | 3.0% |
| 88 | Winter Park, FL | 29,985 | 719 | 3.0% |
| 89 | Lynn Haven, FL | 19,421 | 466 | 3.0% |
| 90 | Panama City Beach, FL | 18,281 | 438 | 3.0% |
| 91 | Royal Palm Beach, FL | 38,874 | 932 | 3.0% |
| 92 | Orange City, FL | 13,254 | 318 | 3.0% |
| 93 | Milton, FL | 10,254 | 246 | 3.0% |
| 94 | Mascotte, FL | 6,985 | 167 | 3.0% |
| 95 | Fort Myers, FL | 88,699 | 2,128 | 3.0% |
| 96 | Crestview, FL | 27,427 | 658 | 3.0% |
| 97 | Vero Beach, FL | 16,531 | 396 | 3.0% |
| 98 | Casselberry, FL | 29,092 | 698 | 3.0% |
| 99 | Kenneth City, FL | 5,043 | 121 | 3.0% |
| 100 | Tavares, FL | 19,088 | 458 | 3.0% |