Thursday, May 30, 2002
Divorce rate rising in Tennessee’s rural areas
A story released today by the Associated Press reports that divorce rates in four rural Tennessee counties have surpassed Davidson County, the past leader.
''There are not too many things to do, and if your marriage is a little shaky, it is not too good,'' said Tennessee Representative Bob Patton, a sponsor of a bill pending in the legislature that would require couples who refuse premarital counseling to pay an extra $60 to get a marriage license.
The rise of rural divorces, according to U.S. Census figures, comes when Tennessee leads most Southern states in broken marriages.
In Tennessee, 11.3% of people 15 years old or older are divorced, topping Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Only Florida was higher with 11.6%.
Overall, Tennessee's divorce rate increased from 9.5% in 1990 to 11.3% in 2000.
Davidson County had the highest percentage of divorced people, 13.1%, among urban counties, up slightly from 1990. Hamilton County (Chattanooga) followed with 12%; Knox (Knoxville), 11.4%; and Shelby (Memphis), 10.9%.
Lake County Chancery Judge Steve Stafford was surprised by his county's No. 1 status. He said most residents either farm or work at two prisons in the community.
