On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges extended marriage equality nationwide. Below is a summary of recent research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law on married same-sex couples.
- There are an estimated 823,000 married same-sex couples in the U.S., more than double the number of married couples in 2014, the last full year before Obergefell.
- More than 591,000 same-sex couples have married since Obergefell.
- Married couples account for 59% of all cohabiting same-sex couples in the country. Married couples have represented the majority of partnered same-sex couples since 2016, the first full year of nationwide marriage equality.
- Obergefell has had the most profound impact on the South. From 2014 to 2023, the percentage of same-sex couples who were married grew by 21% in the South, 16% in the West, 15% in the Midwest, and by 11% in the Northeast over the past 10 years.
- All 15 states that did not have marriage equality when Obergefell was decided were in the South and Midwest.
- Nearly 300,000 children under 18 in the U.S. are being raised by married same-sex couples.
- Wedding spending by couples married after Obergefell and their out-of-state guests has boosted state and local economies by about $5.9 billion.
- Same-sex couples’ wedding spending has also generated an estimated $432.2 million in state and local sales tax revenue—enough to support approximately 41,300 jobs for one year.
- The vast majority of respondents in our June 2024 survey of married LGBTQ people in all 50 states and D.C. said they had married for love (93%), companionship (74%), and legal protections (75%).
- Many of the married same-sex couples surveyed said marriage improved their sense of safety and security (83%), life satisfaction (75%), and relationship stability (67%).
- More than half of same-sex couples—about 433,000 married couples and 305,000 unmarried couples—live in states with laws or constitutional amendments that ban marriage equality. Although these bans are not currently enforceable, these couples would be the most vulnerable if marriage equality were to be reversed.
- About 80% of the couples surveyed in 2024 were very (41%) or somewhat (38%) concerned that the Obergefell decision would be overturned.
- One-quarter (25%) of the surveyed couples had taken steps to protect themselves and their families, such as speeding up the timeline for marriage or parenthood, securing second-parent adoptions, and considering a move to another state or country.
“Marriage equality has significantly benefited the lives and well-being of same-sex couples, their families, and the communities where they live,” said Christy Mallory, Interim Executive Director and Legal Director at the Williams Institute.