The 10 Cities In Michigan With The Highest Divorce Rates For 2024


The cities in Michigan with the highest divorce rate are Alpena and Belding for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Cities with highest divorce rate in Michigan research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Michigan’s most recent Census data to determine the divorce rate for each city in Michigan based on the percentage of currently divorced residents. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The city with the highest divorce rate in Michigan is Alpena based on the most recent Census data.

  • Alpena is 17.0% Divorced.

  • The city with the lowest divorce rate in Michigan is East Lansing.

  • East Lansing is 2.0% Divorced.

  • Michigan is 9.0% Divorced.

Cities With Highest Divorce Rate In Michigan Map


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


There are some 724,170 people living in Michigan 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 Wolverine 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 Michigan with the highest rates of divorcees.

The 10 Cities In Michigan With The Highest Divorce Rates

  1. Alpena
  2. Belding
  3. Zeeland
  4. Davison
  5. Muskegon Heights
  6. Howell
  7. Lapeer
  8. Escanaba
  9. Grand Ledge
  10. Coldwater

Let’s quickly recap before we dive into the Saturday Night Science behind the data.

What is the city in Michigan with the highest divorce rate? That would be Alpena, with 17.0% of people over 15 years of age being divorced, per the most recent census data.

What is the overall Michigan divorce rate? According to the 2018-2022 Community Survey, the overall divorce rate in Michigan is 9.0%, which compares to the US divorce rate of 10.9%.

Alrighty, on to how we calculated the places with the highest divorce rates in Michigan.

For more Michigan reading, check out:

The 10 Places With The Highest Divorce Rate In Michigan For 2024

Alpena, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Ian Poellet | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 10,200
Divorce Rate: 17.0%
Divorcees: 1,387
Median Income: $43,613
More on Alpena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Belding, MI

Source: Wikipedia User kennethaw88 | CC BY 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 5,942
Divorce Rate: 17.0%
Divorcees: 808
Median Income: $52,083
More on Belding: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Zeeland, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Nenyedi at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 5,701
Divorce Rate: 17.0%
Divorcees: 775
Median Income: $60,505
More on Zeeland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,114
Divorce Rate: 17.0%
Divorcees: 695
Median Income: $48,750
More on Davison: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Muskegon Heights, MI

Source: Flickr User dsrins_syb | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 9,954
Divorce Rate: 17.0%
Divorcees: 1,353
Median Income: $35,216
More on Muskegon Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Howell, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Joshuay04 | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 10,067
Divorce Rate: 16.0%
Divorcees: 1,288
Median Income: $53,953
More on Howell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Lapeer, MI

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 9,034
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 1,084
Median Income: $50,510
More on Lapeer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Escanaba, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Bobak Ha’Eri | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 12,403
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 1,488
Median Income: $38,457
More on Escanaba: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Grand Ledge, MI

Source: Wikipedia User SBarnes | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 7,795
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 935
Median Income: $71,179
More on Grand Ledge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coldwater, MI

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,704
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 1,644
Median Income: $48,531
More on Coldwater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

How We Determined The Places In Michigan 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 154 places in Michigan 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 Michigan the place with the highest incidence of divorcees, Alpena.

And if you’re trying to avoid divorce, check out East Lansing, the city with the lowest divorce rate in Michigan.

We updated this article for 2024 and this list is our fifth time ranking the cities in Michigan with the highest divorce rates.

Getting Some Closure In Michigan After Untying The Know

Besides just coming up with what we thought would be a great new blog/book title, “Untying the Knot In Michigan: Life After Divorce,” we now have a sense of what places in the Wolverine State don’t pay much attention to the whole “’til death do we part” phrase.

The cities with the highest divorce rate in Michigan are Alpena, Belding, Zeeland, Davison, Muskegon Heights, Howell, Lapeer, Escanaba, Grand Ledge, and Coldwater.

Try to keep in mind that the reason cities rank where they do in Michigan 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 Michigan reading, check out:

Cities With The Highest Divorce Rates In Michigan

Rank City Population Divorcees Divorce Rate
1 Alpena, MI 10,200 1,387 17.0%
2 Belding, MI 5,942 808 17.0%
3 Zeeland, MI 5,701 775 17.0%
4 Davison, MI 5,114 695 17.0%
5 Muskegon Heights, MI 9,954 1,353 17.0%
6 Howell, MI 10,067 1,288 16.0%
7 Lapeer, MI 9,034 1,084 15.0%
8 Escanaba, MI 12,403 1,488 15.0%
9 Grand Ledge, MI 7,795 935 15.0%
10 Coldwater, MI 13,704 1,644 15.0%
11 Milan, MI 6,153 738 15.0%
12 Springfield, MI 5,268 632 15.0%
13 Jackson, MI 31,420 3,519 14.0%
14 Hastings, MI 7,504 840 14.0%
15 Bay City, MI 32,664 3,658 14.0%
16 Richmond, MI 5,852 655 14.0%
17 Charlotte, MI 9,273 1,038 14.0%
18 Dundee, MI 5,408 605 14.0%
19 Ionia, MI 13,081 1,465 14.0%
20 Port Huron, MI 28,881 3,234 14.0%
21 Walled Lake, MI 7,262 813 14.0%
22 Fenton, MI 11,967 1,340 14.0%
23 Burton, MI 29,568 3,311 14.0%
24 Greenville, MI 8,866 992 14.0%
25 Muskegon, MI 38,286 4,288 14.0%
26 St. Louis, MI 6,932 776 14.0%
27 Mason, MI 8,284 927 14.0%
28 Ecorse, MI 9,292 966 13.0%
29 Marshall, MI 6,806 707 13.0%
30 Manistee, MI 6,248 649 13.0%
31 Swartz Creek, MI 5,865 609 13.0%
32 Grand Haven, MI 10,961 1,139 13.0%
33 Battle Creek, MI 52,469 5,456 13.0%
34 Cadillac, MI 10,400 1,081 13.0%
35 Traverse City, MI 15,468 1,608 13.0%
36 Harper Woods, MI 15,296 1,590 13.0%
37 Mount Clemens, MI 15,679 1,630 13.0%
38 Trenton, MI 18,420 1,915 13.0%
39 Wayne, MI 17,568 1,827 13.0%
40 Riverview, MI 12,390 1,288 13.0%
41 Milford, MI 6,483 674 13.0%
42 Owosso, MI 14,678 1,526 13.0%
43 Ludington, MI 7,691 799 13.0%
44 Clawson, MI 11,388 1,184 13.0%
45 Wyandotte, MI 24,857 2,386 12.0%
46 Three Rivers, MI 7,923 760 12.0%
47 Northville, MI 6,088 584 12.0%
48 Roseville, MI 47,476 4,557 12.0%
49 St. Clair Shores, MI 58,656 5,630 12.0%
50 Allen Park, MI 28,395 2,725 12.0%
51 Ishpeming, MI 6,191 594 12.0%
52 Flushing, MI 8,349 801 12.0%
53 Iron Mountain, MI 7,522 722 12.0%
54 Allegan, MI 5,180 497 12.0%
55 River Rouge, MI 7,200 691 12.0%
56 Dowagiac, MI 5,680 545 12.0%
57 Sault Ste. Marie, MI 13,409 1,287 12.0%
58 Fraser, MI 14,668 1,290 11.0%
59 Taylor, MI 62,937 5,538 11.0%
60 Rockford, MI 6,144 540 11.0%
61 Lincoln Park, MI 39,807 3,503 11.0%
62 Utica, MI 5,195 457 11.0%
63 Flint, MI 81,863 7,203 11.0%
64 Westland, MI 84,806 7,462 11.0%
65 Petoskey, MI 5,859 515 11.0%
66 Saginaw, MI 44,316 3,545 10.0%
67 Monroe, MI 20,400 1,632 10.0%
68 Adrian, MI 20,607 1,648 10.0%
69 Southfield, MI 76,107 6,088 10.0%
70 Benton Harbor, MI 9,101 728 10.0%
71 St. Joseph, MI 7,852 628 10.0%
72 St. Johns, MI 7,711 616 10.0%
73 Lansing, MI 112,986 9,038 10.0%
74 Marysville, MI 9,973 797 10.0%
75 Grand Blanc, MI 8,034 642 10.0%
76 Norton Shores, MI 24,984 1,998 10.0%
77 Holly, MI 5,997 479 10.0%
78 Romulus, MI 25,055 2,004 10.0%
79 South Lyon, MI 11,788 943 10.0%
80 Eaton Rapids, MI 5,201 416 10.0%
81 Garden City, MI 27,203 2,176 10.0%
82 Midland, MI 42,404 3,053 9.0%
83 Highland Park, MI 9,032 650 9.0%
84 Southgate, MI 29,948 2,156 9.0%
85 Chelsea, MI 5,440 391 9.0%
86 Woodhaven, MI 12,867 926 9.0%
87 Walker, MI 25,175 1,812 9.0%
88 Eastpointe, MI 34,087 2,454 9.0%
89 Pontiac, MI 61,965 4,461 9.0%
90 Hazel Park, MI 15,065 1,084 9.0%
91 Warren, MI 138,588 9,978 9.0%
92 Big Rapids, MI 7,915 569 9.0%
93 Kingsford, MI 5,127 369 9.0%
94 Berkley, MI 15,150 1,090 9.0%
95 Beverly Hills, MI 10,550 759 9.0%
96 Alma, MI 9,436 679 9.0%
97 New Baltimore, MI 12,104 871 9.0%
98 Inkster, MI 25,839 1,860 9.0%
99 Niles, MI 11,871 854 9.0%
100 Oak Park, MI 29,495 1,887 8.0%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *