Economic Impact Reports

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  Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Delaware

  By Angeliki Kastanis and M.V. Lee Badgett
  May 2013
  

  Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Delaware would bring an estimated $7 million to the state and local economy. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 2,646 same-sex couples live in Delaware. Of those couples, 50 percent, or approximately 767 marriage licenses, would be issued within the first three years after the passage of marriage equality, a pattern that has been observed in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The report also takes into account the Delaware couples that may have married in other states.

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  Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Rhode Island

  By Angeliki Kastanis, M.V. Lee Badgett
  May 2013
  

  Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Rhode Island would bring an estimated $7 million to the state and local economy, including $5.5 million in additional wedding spending and $1.5 million in tourism expenditures made by out-of-town guests. Based on Rhode Island’s rates of 7 percent sales tax and 6 percent hotel and lodging tax, $530,000 in tax revenue will be generated for the state in the first three years same-sex couples may marry. The boost in travel spending will generate approximately 26 jobs in the state.

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• Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Minnesota

  By Angeliki Kastanis, M.V. Lee Badgett
  April 2013
  

  Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Minnesota would bring an estimated $42 million to the state and local economy. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,207 same-sex couples live in Minnesota. Total state and local tax revenue would rise by $3 million, including an estimated $128,000 in local taxes. As seen in Iowa, same-sex couples from neighboring states that do not allow same-sex couples to marry may travel to Minnesota and generate additional spending on wedding and tourism-related goods and services.

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• Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Illinois

  By Angeliki Kastanis, M.V. Lee Badgett
  March 2013
  

  Extending marriage to same-sex couples in Illinois would generate up to $103 million in spending to the state and local economy. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 23,049 same-sex couples live in Illinois. Of those couples, the report estimates that 50% (11,525 couples) would choose to marry in the first three years, a pattern that has been observed in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Of the couples that will marry, 64% of those marriages will occur during the first year, 21% in the second year and 15% in the third year.

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• The Economic Impact of Extending Marriage to Same-Sex Couples in Australia

  By M.V. Lee Badgett, Jennifer Smith
  February 2012
  

  Extending marriage to Australian same-sex couples would boost the country’s economy by $161 million over three years. This estimate is based on a projection that 54 percent (or 17,820) of Australia’s approximately 33,000 same-sex couples would marry.

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• The Economic Impact of Extending Marriage to Same-Sex Couples in Washington State

  By Angeliki Kastanis, M.V. Lee Badgett, Jody L. Herman
  January 2012
  

  Total spending by resident same-sex couples and their guests will add an estimated $88 million boost to the state and local economy over the course of three years. This economic boost is likely to add $8 million in tax revenue to state and local coffers.

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• Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Iowa: Sales Tax

  By Angeliki Kastanis, M.V. Lee Badgett, Jody L. Herman
  December 2011
  

  Total spending on wedding arrangements and tourism by same-sex couples and their guests added an estimated $12 to $13 million boost to the state and local economy of Iowa. Economic boost is likely to have added $850,000 to $930,000 in tax revenue to state and local coffers.

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• Spending on Weddings of Same-Sex Couples in the United States

  By Craig J. Konnoth, M.V. Lee Badgett, Brad Sears
  July 2011
  

  The extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples in various jurisdictions will generate economic gains for the businesses in those jurisdictions due to increased spending on weddings. This memorandum estimates the total spending by resident and out-of-state couples on their weddings in states that recognize marriage equality for same-sex couples, in the first year after equal marriage rights were introduced.

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• The Economic Value of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples

  By M.V. Lee Badgett
  October 2010
  

  In the five states and the District of Columbia that allow same-sex couples to marry, tens of thousands same-sex couples have taken advantage of the opportunity. The demand for marriage shows same-sex couples find marriage to be a valuable status, and studies of same-sex couples suggest they are quite similar to different-sex couples in both the economic and social needs that lead them to marry.

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• Federal Estate Tax Disadvantages for Same-Sex Couples

  By Michael D. Steinberger
  November 2009
  

  Using data from several government data sources, this report estimates the dollar value of the estate tax disadvantage faced by same-sex couples. In 2009, the differential treatment of same-sex and married couples in the estate tax code will affect an estimated 73 same-sex couples, costing them each, on average, more than $3.3 million.

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• The Impact of Inequalities for Same-Sex Partners in Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans

  By Naomi G. Goldberg
  October 2009
  

  This report analyzes the impact of unequal treatment of same-sex partners in the context of retirement plans and estimates the cost for employers of adopting a policy of equal treatment. We find that same-sex couples face inequalities when it comes to their ability to accumulate wealth, plan for their futures, and pass on wealth.

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• Testimony on the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009

  By M.V. Lee Badgett
  July 8, 2009
  

  Williams Institute Research Director Lee Badgett’s written testimony delivered to the Congressional Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia on HR 2517: Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act of 2009. If passed, the legislation would extend federal employee benefits to domestic partners of federal workers.

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• Marriage Equality and the Creative Class

  By Gary J. Gates
  May 2009
  

  Data from the American Community Survey suggest that marriage equality has a small but positive impact on the number of individuals in same-sex couples who are attracted to a state.

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• Tax Implications for Same-Sex Couples

  By Naomi G. Goldberg, M.V. Lee Badgett
  April 2009
  

  This fact sheet outlines some of the ways in which same-sex couples are treated inequality by the federal government. Topics discussed include: taxation of health insurance benefits, lack of protection from estate taxes, no options in filing income taxes, the lack of social security survivor or spousal benefits, and the lack of visibility in the census.

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• The Fiscal Impact of Extending Federal Benefits to Same-Sex Domestic Partners

  By Naomi G. Goldberg, Christopher Ramos, M.V. Lee Badgett
  September 2008
  

  This report finds that offering health and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees would add $41 million to the federal budget in the first year of coverage. Over ten years the report predicts the budgetary cost will be $675 million, a small percentage of the federal budget.

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• Unequal Taxes on Equal Benefits: The Taxation of Domestic Partner Benefits

  By M.V. Lee Badgett
  December 2007
  

  Public policy encourages employers to provide health insurance by exempting that form of compensation from taxation. As a result, married workers who get family health insurance benefits get a double benefit—they get health insurance coverage for their spouses and children and are not taxed on the value of that coverage. Employers typically do not provide health insurance coverage for domestic partners of their workers; and even when partners are covered, the partner’s coverage is taxed as income to the employee. This report estimates the financial impact of this extra tax on employees and employers.

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• The Effect of Marriage Equality and Domestic Partnership on Business and the Economy

  By M.V. Lee Badgett, Gary J. Gates
  October 2006
  

  This report finds that employer policies that treat employees with same-sex partners or spouses equally would improve the health and well-being of their families, which results in gains for both the employee and his or her family as well as to the employer.

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• Separate and Unequal: The Effect of Unequal Access to Employment-Based Health Insurance on Same-Sex and Different-Sex Unmarried Couples

  By M.V. Lee Badgett, Michael A. Ash
  October 2006
  

  This study finds that unmarried couples are significantly less likely to have health insurance than married people. The number of uninsured people in unmarried couples would drop significantly if employers offered health insurance to domestic partners. However, employers would experience only a small increase in health insurance enrollment and costs if they offered partner coverage.

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