A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that, as of June 2025, there are an estimated 823,000 married same-sex couples in the U.S. This figure is more than double the 390,000 same-sex couples who were married as of June 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court extended marriage equality nationwide. Nearly 300,000 children under 18 are being raised by married same-sex couples.
In 2025, married couples account for the majority (59%) of cohabiting same-sex couples in the U.S.—an inflection point that occurred in 2016, the first full year of nationwide marriage equality.
Using data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2014 to 2023 and advanced statistical modeling for 2024 and 2025, researchers estimated the number of married couples and examined their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
Results show that more than half of same-sex couples—including around 433,000 married and 305,000 unmarried couples—live in states with statutes or constitutional amendments prohibiting marriage equality. While these bans cannot currently be enforced, the Obergefell decision has been questioned by Supreme Court justices and legislators, leaving couples in these states the most vulnerable if marriage equality were reversed.
“Marriage equality has strengthened and supported extended families and networks for many same-sex couples,” said lead author Brad Sears, Distinguished Senior Scholar of Law and Policy at the Williams Institute. “If Obergefell were overturned, it would jeopardize not only the rights and well-being of same-sex couples, but the relationships, economic stability, and social support of hundreds of thousands of adults and children.”
Additional Findings
Growth in Married Same-Sex Couples
- Obergefell has had the most profound impact on the South. From 2014 to 2023, the percentage of married same-sex couples grew by 21% in the South (38% to 59%), 16% in the West (46% to 62%), 15% in the Midwest (41% to 55%), and by 11% in the Northeast (50% to 60%).
- The regional differences partly reflect that all 15 states that did not have marriage equality when Obergefell was decided were in the South and Midwest.
Demographics
- More than half (53%) of married same-sex couples are female couples, and 47% are male couples.
- One-third of individuals in married same-sex couples (34%) are people of color, similar to married different-sex couples (33%).
- Married same-sex couples are much more likely to be interracial (29%) than married different-sex couples (14%).
Families and Caregiving
- About 17% of married same-sex couples are raising the householder’s biological, adopted, or stepchildren, compared to 10% of unmarried same-sex couples.
- Married female same-sex couples are approximately three times more likely (24%) to have their own children than married male same-sex couples (8%).
- Married same-sex couples with children are approximately eight times more likely than married different-sex couples with children to have a foster or adopted child.
- Married same-sex couples are more likely than married different-sex couples to have relatives or other people living with them, including the householder’s parent or in-law (4.3% vs. 3.4%, sibling or sibling-in-law (3.2% vs. 1.7%), other relative (3.2% vs. 2.0%), roommate or housemate (3.2% vs. 0.6%), or other non-relatives (2.3% vs. 1.2%).
Economics
- The median household income is 18% higher for married same-sex couples than for unmarried couples.
- Married male same-sex couples have a higher median household income ($142,000) than married female same-sex couples ($113,000).
- The householder in almost three-quarters (72%) of married same-sex couples owns their home, compared to only about half (49%) of unmarried same-sex couples.