Fact or Fiction: Is Nevada the Marriage Capital of the U.S.?

Las Vegas has earned – for better or worse – a reputation for quick weddings. The city came to be known as the Marriage Capital of the World as a result of the ease of acquiring a marriage license and the minimal costs involved. Las Vegas comprises a large part of Clark County, where the County’s website features a prominent page for marriage licenses.

So, has “the Vegas factor” been enough to position – and keep — Nevada in the U.S. lead for marriage?

According to NCHS data from the National Vital Statistics System, the Vegas factor certainly looks like it’s had major influence on the overall marriage rate in Nevada. While the state’s marriage rate has declined significantly since 1990, Nevada is still number one! The most recent marriage rate of 36.9 (provisional rate of marriages per 1,000 people performed in Nevada during 2011) shows that so many couples tie the knot in the Silver State that it ranked number one nationally in marriage rates – by a long shot. Hawaii ranked second with a marriage rate of 17.6 (due, presumably, to “the weather factor”).