Myth: ‘Gays make more money than non-gays’
February 8, 2012
Washington Post editorial board writer Jonathan Capehart cites research by Williams Distinguished Scholar Gary Gates on LGBT families :
“According to an analysis of Census Bureau data from 2000 by the Williams Institute, the median income for same-sex couples raising children was $46,200 while for married heterosexual couples raising children it was $59,600. That’s a $13,400 difference. The gap increases to $15,507 when the average income for the gay couple ($59,270) is matched up with that of the straight couple ($74,777).
Gary Gates, a scholar with the Williams Institute who has analyzed 2010 Census Bureau data for the forthcoming American Community Survey (ACS), notes that while the gap has narrowed, it still remains.
Different-sex married couples with kids, average household income: $96,265
Same-sex couples with kids, average household income: $88,828
Different-sex married couples with kids, median household income: $77,000
Same-sex couples with kids, median household income: $67,000
The gap in average income was $7,437. The gap in the median income was $10,000.”