Though most people do not plan for a divorce when they get married, they do know that it can happen to anyone, at anytime. But despite this fact, there are certain states and even cities here in the United States where divorce happens at a higher rate than in other places. And one such place can be found right here in California too.
According to CreditDonkey, which is a “data-driven analysis website,” Oceanside is the second most stressful city in our state. This conclusion was based on a number of contributing factors, including the percentage of divorcees. And according to the U.S. Census Bureau, this southern-California city has a higher divorce rate than the entire state.
For Oceanside, the divorce rate averages out to 13.2 percent for women and 9.3 percent for men. These seem high compared to the state average, which is 11 percent for women and 8 percent for men. So why is the divorce rate higher there than the rest of the state?
Some marriage and family experts believe that military involvement could be a factor for this city. As some of our San Francisco readers may know from firsthand experience, military deployments can put a lot of strain on a marriage and can even push it past its breaking point, which can lead to divorce. It’s possible, because of the large number of military families in the area, that this is what is driving the divorce rate higher than the state average.
It’s possible too that demographics could be playing a role, especially among the Hispanic community. According to one marriage and family therapist, a growing number of Hispanic women are landing better jobs than their husbands. It’s possible, in some cases, that this difference in incomes is creating friction and leading to divorce as well.
Whether you live in Oceanside or here in San Francisco, divorce can be a challenging life event for anyone to handle. First time divorcees can find themselves overwhelmed by questions about the legal process of dissolving their marriage and wondering where to turn to. While legal representation can be sought, some couples may not take this route, which can sometimes add to existing frustrations and possibly complicate the process as well.
Source: The Coast News, “Oceanside and Carlsbad ranked among most stressful cities in California,” Ellen Wright, July 21, 2014
