Although the results of this study may seem atypical to those Southerners who generally consider themselves to be more traditionally conservative, the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia has an explanation. People who live in one area and do not move or relocate are much more likely to stay married over people who move, such as residents of the Midwest, the West, and the South.
One wonders whether there might be other explanations, or at least other factors, involved in these elevated divorce rates other than migratory trends. Does it make a difference at what age couples are married? Perhaps employment status or work conditions are impacting the divorce rates. Similarly, maybe there is an economic element which correlates to the higher divorce rates which relates to the economic and financial strength of the area. Family history and demographic trends may also play roles in the equation.