Rural counties top divorce chart

By BECKY McKENDRY
Capital News Service
LANSING – Couples in rural counties are more likely to split up than those in more populous areas, according to the most recent state data. The 10 counties with the highest divorce rates in 2012 all have populations less than 65,000, according to information from the Department of Community Health and the U.S. Census Bureau. The average population for a county in Michigan is more than 119,000. Statewide, the average divorce rate in Michigan is 6.7 per 1,000 residents annually. All of the rural top ten counties, which include Crawford, Gladwin and Osceola, have rates at 9 or above.