Same-Sex Couples in Virginia

Introduction

This research brief offers analyses of data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) to describe the characteristics of same-sex couples and their families in Virginia compared to their different-sex married counterparts.

Same-sex couples are identified in the ACS when an adult in the household is identified as either the “husband/wife” or “unmarried partner” of the person who filled out the survey, referred to as the householder, and both partners or spouses are of the same-sex. These analyses combine ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files from 2011 and 2012, yielding sample sizes of:

• 240 same-sex couples
• 66 children under age 18 being raised by same-sex couples
• 333,362 different-sex married couples
• 24,919 children under age 18 being raised bydifferent-sex couples

Same-sex couples

Tabulations from Census 2010 show that there are 14,243 same-sex couples living in Virginia. These couples were identified in all but one of Virginia’s counties. The majority of same-sex couples are female (51%).1

Age

The average age of individuals in same-sex couples in Virginia is more than seven years younger than that of different-sex married couples—43.0 and 50.4 years old, respectively. Table 1 shows the percentages of adults in same-sex and different-sex married couples by age group. The lowest percentage of same-sex couples is in the 65 and over group (5%) while the lowest percentage of different-sex married couples is in the youngest age group of those less than age 30 (7%).

Nearly one fifth of individuals in same-sex couples in Virginia are members of racial or ethnic minorities. Table 2 shows that 19% of individuals in same-sex couples are members of racial or ethnic minorities compared to 26% of individuals in different-sex married couples.

Latinos and Latinas comprise 11% of individuals in same-sex couples and 6% of those in different-sex married couples. The portion of African-Americans is 4% among those in same-sex couples and 12% among those in different-sex married couples. Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders comprise 3% of individuals in same-sex couples and 7% of those in different-sex married couples.

Same-sex couples with children

Nearly one in five same-sex couples in Virginia (18%) are raising children under age 18 in their homes. More than 2,500 same-sex-couple households in the state include more than 4,000 children.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of children being raised by same-sex couples in Virginia are biological children, 11% are stepchildren, 2% are adopted, and none are foster children. This implies that same-sex couples in the state are raising an estimated 2,600 biological children, 430 stepchildren, and 100 adopted children. Nearly 23% of same-sex couples are raising children are raising approximately 900 children identified as grandchildren, siblings, or other children.