Executive Summary
In June 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry throughout the country. At the time of the decision,15 states did not allow same-sex couples to marry, and 16 states had just granted same-sex couples the right to marry in the prior year.
This report relies on the most recent available data from the American Community Survey to provide a portrait of married same-sex couples on the 10th anniversary of the Obergefell decision in June 2025. We estimate the number of same-sex couples who have married since Obergefell and provide information about their demographic characteristics, economic status, and the children and adults who now rely on their households.
Further, in the context of recent challenges to the Obergefell decision by members of the U.S. Supreme Court and a growing number of state legislatures, we estimate the number of married and unmarried same-sex couples who live in states that still have statutory or constitutional bans on marriage equality that could go into effect if Obergefell were overturned.
Key Findings
There are an estimated 823,000 married same-sex couples in the U.S. as of June 2025, more than double the number of married same-sex couples in June 2015 when Obergefell was decided. These couples are raising nearly 300,000 children (299,000).
- The percentage of married same-sex couples has increased over the past decade. In 2014, 43% of all cohabiting same-sex couples were married. That percentage has increased to approximately 60% today.
- Regarding regions, Obergefell has had the most profound impact on the South. From 2014 to 2023, the percentage of cohabiting same-sex couples who were married 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 in growth among married same-sex couples after Obergefell reflect, in part, the fact that all 15 states that did not have marriage equality when Obergefell was decided were in the South and Midwest.
- In these 15 states, the percentage of all married same-sex couples increased by 22% (35% to 58%) from 2014 to 2023, compared with 14% in the rest of the U.S. (45% to 60%).
- From 2014 to 2023, the growth in the number of married same-sex couples more than tripled in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia.
- Thirty-one states still have statutes and/or constitutional amendments in place that ban marriage equality. (Iowa also has a ban that state courts have ruled is unconstitutional.) While they cannot be currently enforced because of Obergefell, same-sex couples in these states would be among the most vulnerable if Obergefell were overturned. Over half of same-sex couples live in these 31 states, including approximately 433,000 married same-sex couples and 305,000 unmarried same-sex couples.
- The 433,000 married same-sex couples in these states are raising approximately 163,000 children under the age of 18.
Members of married same-sex couples are diverse, geographically and racially.
- Over one-third of married same-sex couples live in the South (35%), 29% live in the West, 19% live in the Northeast, and 17% live in the Midwest.
- Fifty-three percent of married same-sex couples are female couples, and 47% are male couples.
- In one out of five married same-sex couples (22%), at least one spouse was not born in the U.S., and in 8%, both spouses were not born in the U.S.
- Approximately one-third of individuals in married same-sex couples (34%) are people of color, which is 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%).
- The average age of individuals in married same-sex couples is 48 years, which is younger than the average age of those in married different-sex couples at 53 years.
- In one out of five married same-sex couples (21%), at least one spouse is 65 years of age or older. In one out of 10 (10%), both spouses are 65 or older.
- In approximately 1% of both married same-sex and different-sex couples, at least one spouse is currently serving in the military.
- In one out of 10 married same-sex couples (11%), at least one spouse is a veteran, compared with 15% of married different-sex couples.
The most recent Census Bureau data supports prior research that shows that same-sex couples benefit from the economic advantages that marriage provides.
- The median household income is 18% higher for married same-sex couples than for unmarried same-sex couples.
- Married male same-sex couples have a higher median household income ($142,000) than married female same-sex couples ($113,000).
- While the householder in almost three-quarters (72%) of married same-sex couples owns their home, that is true for only about half (49%) of unmarried same-sex couples.
- Married same-sex couples (12%) are slightly less likely to have low household incomes (at or below 200% of the federal poverty level) than unmarried same-sex couples (15%).
- Married (14%) and unmarried (19%) female same-sex couples are more likely to have low incomes than married (8%) and unmarried (10%) male same-sex couples.
The Obergefell decision emphasized the importance of marriage for protecting the children raised by same-sex couples. Ten years later, hundreds of thousands of children and adults rely on households headed by married same-sex couples.
- In 2025, an estimated 299,000 children under 18 live in households headed by married same-sex couples.
- About 17% of married same-sex couples are raising the householder’s own children— biological, adopted, or step—compared to 10% of unmarried same-sex couples.
- Married different-sex (38%) couples are more likely to be raising the householder’s own children than married 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. Among households headed by couples who have children,
- About 3% (2.6%) of married same-sex couples have a foster child compared to 0.3% of married different-sex couples.
- More than one in five (22%) married same-sex couples have an adopted child, compared to 3% of married different-sex couples.
- Some households headed by married same-sex couples not only include children but also other adults. Three percent of married same-sex couples’ households are multigenerational, compared to 5% of married different-sex couples’ households.
- Married same-sex couples have higher rates than married different-sex couples of having relatives or other people live with them, including the householder’s parent or in-law (4.3% for married same-sex couples vs. 3.4% for married different-sex couples), 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%).