New analysis of the 2020 Census by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that there were 1,168,566 same-sex couples in the United States, and 57% of them were married.
Same-sex couples live in every state. At the time of the Census, Washington, D.C. had the highest concentration of same-sex couples, with 26 couples per 1,000 households, followed by Delaware (13). North Dakota (4) and South Dakota (4) had the lowest rates.
Over half of cohabitating same-sex couples in nearly every state were married. The proportion of same-sex couples who were married was highest in Delaware (66%). Fewer than half of same-sex couples were married in only three states—Louisiana (49%), North Dakota (48%), and West Virginia (47%)—and Puerto Rico (33%).
Nearly one in five (17%) same-sex couples in the U.S. were raising their own children, including 22% of married same-sex couples. Raising their own children was defined by the Census as a householder raising a biological or adopted child.
The new analysis provides data on the gender, race/ethnicity, and relationship status of same-sex couples at both the national and state levels. Findings are available in Census Snapshot briefs and through a data interactive tool offering information at the national, state, and county levels.
The briefs and interactive tool also rank cities by the number of same-sex couples per 1,000 households. The highest proportions were found in San Francisco (34) among large cities, Fort Lauderdale (42) among medium-sized cities, and Wilton Manors, Florida (213), among small cities.
“The 2020 Census was the first decennial census to explicitly include same-sex spouses and partners in its household relationship question, providing the most reliable data to date,” said lead author Jody Herman, Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute. “Our findings confirm what had long been known—same-sex couples live in every part of the U.S. and are raising their families there.”
The decennial Census is the only data set that exists where everyone in the United States is counted, which provides the most reliable picture of same-sex couples. However, the Census is only able to collect information about the relationship status of cohabitating same-sex couples. As a result, couples who did not share a home were not included in the data.
Key Findings
Overall
- The top five states with the highest proportions of same-sex couples per 1,000 households after Washington, D.C. (26) were Delaware (13), Oregon (13), Vermont (12), Nevada (12), and Hawaii (12).
- The five states with the lowest proportions of same-sex couples per 1,000 households were Montana (5), Mississippi (5), Wyoming (5), South Dakota (4), and North Dakota (4).
Married Couples
- The top five states with the highest proportions of same-sex couples who were married were Delaware (66%), New Hampshire (64%), Vermont (63%), Massachusetts (63%), and New Jersey (62%).
- The five states and territories with the lowest proportions of same-sex couples who were married were Ohio (51%), Louisiana (49%), North Dakota (48%), West Virginia (47%), and Puerto Rico (33%).
Raising Children
- The top five states with the highest proportions of same-sex couples raising their own children were Mississippi (24%), Idaho (24%), Alaska (24%), Wyoming (23%), and Oklahoma (22%).
- The five states and areas with the lowest proportions of same-sex couples raising their own children were Washington, D.C. (9%), Florida (13%), Maine (14%), New York (15%), and Hawaii (15%).
Gender
- Vermont had the highest proportion of female same-sex couples (64%), and New York (45%) had the lowest among the states. Washington, D.C., had the lowest proportion of female same-sex couples overall (29%).
Race/Ethnicity
- Same-sex couple householders were represented among all race/ethnicity groups: 65% were White, 16% were Hispanic, 10% were Black, 4% were Asian, 0.6% were AIAN, and 4% were multiracial.