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Most Inbred States 2024

Most Inbred States

In the US, marrying relatives, known as inbreeding, is not common, with only about 0.2 percent of American marriages involving relatives. This amounts to approximately 250,000 individuals. Even though marrying cousins, which is a type of inbreeding, is legal in 19 states, it’s not widely practiced.

19 states where Inbreeding is legal are

  1. Alabama
  2. California
  3. Colorado
  4. Connecticut
  5. District of Columbia
  6. Florida
  7. Georgia
  8. Hawaii
  9. Maryland
  10. Massachusetts
  11. New Jersey
  12. New Mexico
  13. New York
  14. Rhode Island
  15. South Carolina
  16. Tennessee
  17. Vermont
  18. Virginia

These states legally permit first cousin marriage.

Researchers at the University of Queensland examined 450,000 genomes of people of European ancestry born between 1938 and 1967. From this group, they identified 125 individuals who met the criteria for inbreeding, indicating that their parents were either siblings or close relatives. Among these individuals, the researchers observed several common health problems, including reduced cognitive abilities and muscle function, shorter stature, weaker lung function, and an increased susceptibility to various diseases. 

 

StateFirst Cousin
Marriage Allowed
First Cousin
Sexual Relations
Allowed
Adopted
Cousin
Marriage
Allowed
AlabamaYesYes 
AlaskaNoYesYes
ArizonaOnly if both parties are 65 or older, or one is infertileNoYes
ArkansasNoYesUnknown
CaliforniaYesYesYes
ColoradoYesYesYes
ConnecticutYesYesYes
DelawareNoYesUnknown
District of ColumbiaYesYesYes
FloridaYesYesYes
GeorgiaYesYesYes
HawaiiYesYesYes
IdahoNoYesUnknown
IllinoisNoNoUnknown
IndianaOnly if both parties are 65 or olderYesYes
IowaNoYesUnknown
KansasNoYesUnknown
KentuckyNoNoUnknown
LouisianaNoYesIf judicial approval in writing is obtained
MaineProof of genetic counseling from a genetic counselorYesYes
MarylandYesYesYes
MassachusettsYesYesYes
MichiganNoSexual conduct with a cousin
who is mentally disabled, incapable,
or incapacitated, physically helpless,
or developmentally disabled due to autism,
cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or intellectual disability is a felony
Unknown
MinnesotaOnly certain typesYesUnknown
MississippiNoNoYes
MissouriNoYesUnknown
MontanaNoYesUnknown
NebraskaNoYesYes
NevadaNoNoUnknown
New HampshireNoYesNo
New JerseyYesYesYes
New MexicoYesYesYes
New YorkYesYesYes
North CarolinaYes, except in the rare case of double first cousinsYesUnknown
North DakotaNoNoUnknown
OhioNoYesUnknown
OklahomaNoYesUnknown
OregonNoYesYes
PennsylvaniaNoYesUnknown
Rhode IslandYesYesYes
South CarolinaYesYesYes
South DakotaNoNoUnknown
TennesseeYesYesYes
TexasNoNoNo
UtahOnly if both parties are 65 or older, or both are
55 or older with a district court finding of infertility of either party
NoUnknown
VermontYesYesYes
VirginiaYesYesYes
WashingtonNoYesUnknown
West VirginiaNoYesYes
WisconsinOnly if the woman is at least 55, or either is permanently sterileNoYes
WyomingNoYes
FAQ
  1. Which are the Top 10 Most Inbred States? Top 10 most inbred states are Washington, Oregon, Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, and Kentucky.

  2. Are first cousins allowed to marry? In 24 states, it’s not allowed to marry your first cousin. In 20 states and Washington, D.C., cousins can marry without any restrictions. And in six states, first cousins can marry only if certain conditions are met.

  3. What is the closest cousin you can marry legally? In the United States, you can marry your second cousin in every state. But when it comes to marrying your first cousin, it’s only legal in about half of the states. Whether you can marry a cousin or half-sibling depends on the laws where you live and what you and your family believe.

Source: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States

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