2000 Census information on Gay and Lesbian Couples, by Census Tracts

What the heck is a census tract?

Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county. Census tracts are delineated for most metropolitan areas (MA's) and other densely populated counties by local census statistical areas committees following Census Bureau guidelines (more than 3,000 census tracts have been established in 221 counties outside MA's). Census tracts usually have between 2,500 and 8,000 persons and, when first delineated, are designed to be homogeneous with respect to population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions. Census tracts do not cross county boundaries.

The geographical size of census tracts varies widely depending on the density of settlement. Census tract boundaries are delineated with the intention of being maintained over a long time so that statistical comparisons can be made from census to census. However, physical changes in street patterns caused by highway construction, new development, etc., may require occasional revisions; census tracts occasionally are split due to large population growth, or combined as a result of substantial population decline.

The Census Tract is not a neat demographical unit. Some tracts have no household population, or a population of under 10 persons. The biggest census tracts, population-wise, have just over 10,000 people. Nonetheless, out of 67,388 Census Tracts with some household population, only 1,711 reported no same-sex couples. That means that 97.46% of all tracts with a household population have same-sex couples.

Furthermore, the population of those census tracts reporting zero same-sex couples is just 2,391,631, or 0.72% of the total U.S. population.

Even in the statistical worst-case scenario of North Dakota, which has the lowest proportion of reported same-sex couples in the nation, the figures are interesting: 82.38% of all Census Tracts in North Dakota have at least one same-sex couple, and the population of those tracts reporting zero same-couples is just 48,360, or barely 7.53% of the state population.

It is indeed difficult to draw a statistical correlation of any kind with these numbers, except for the obvious: Same-sex couples are virtually everywhere.

Since these bare numbers without a geographical reference are harder to decipher than Summerian,some of the respective census tracts with the highest number of same-sex couples are mapped in the map room. In addition, the Census also publishes here all the tract maps in PDF.