Index---->USA---->Gay couples, A to Z
Same-sex couples A to Z

This page is a basic overview of the same-sex couples counted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It offers basic definitions, numbers and provides basic information on where to obtain more information, both in this site and in others.


100-percent data: Information based on a limited number of basic population and housing questions collected from both the short form and the long form for every inhabitant and housing unit in the United States.

Just the facts:
There are 601,209 same-sex couples in the United States and Puerto Rico.
More information and tables:

African Americans/Blacks: Black or African American is a race definition.
Just the facts:
219,134 persons who consider themselves Black or African/American are in a same-sex couple (18.7% of lesbians in female couples and 18.1% of gay men in male couples). 11.3% of all female couples are exclusively black and 8.1% of all maie couples are exclusively black.
More information and tables:

Age Data
Just the facts:

The average person in a same-sex couple is 43.2 years old. Male couples are on average 43.5 years old, lesbian couples are on average 42.8 years old. The age difference is 1 year, 3 months for lesbian couples, 2 years 1 month for gay men.

More information and tables: • Average age of same-sex couples, nationwide and by state
• PUMS - 5% sample.


Ancestry Data
Just the facts: These are the most common ancestry codes for persons in same-sex couples: German , 10%; Irish , 8%; English , 7%; African American, 6%; American, 6%; Italian , 5%; Mexican , 5%; French , 2%; Polish , 2%; Puerto Rican, 2%; Scottish, 2%; More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Birthplace / Foreign Born Data
Just the facts: 87.2% of persons in same-sex couples were born in the U.S. Out of the foreign-born, 42% are U.S. Citizens. More information and tables: • Country of birth (PUMS file)

Census
Just the facts: The 1990 Census counted same-sex couple households for the first time, although in a flawed manner. The 2000 Census counted far many more. Other nations also count their same-sex couples. More information and tables: • 1990 Census results.
• 2000 Census results.
• Census in other nations.
• Census technical note about 2000 and 1990 results.

Census Tract
Just the facts: Out of 67,388 Census Tracts with some household population, only 1,711 reported no same-sex couples. 97.46% of all tracts with a household population have same-sex couples. More information and tables: • Census tracts.
• Census 2000 Geographic Terms and Concepts [PDF]

Children
Just the facts: 34.3% of lesbian couple households have children, and 22.3% of male couples have children. The immense majority are the couple's own children. A total of 415,970 children live with same-sex couples. More information and tables: • Percent of households with children under 18 years
• PUMS - 5% sample.

City
Just the facts: No incorporated place with more than 5,700 inhabitants has 0 same-sex couples. The incorporated place with the highest number os same-sex couples is New York with 25,906. The incorporated place with the highest percentage of same-sex couples, 50,000 or more inhabitants, is San Francisco, with 2.7% More information and tables: • Census information on Gay and Lesbian Couples, by Incorporated place.
• 2000 Census information on same-sex couples, by town size

Congressional Districts
Just the facts: The district with the highest number and proportion of same-sex couples is the California 8th. The district with the lowest proportion is Iowa's 2nd with 0.22%. More information and tables: 2000 Census information on Gay and Lesbian Couples, by congressional district (106th Congress)

County and equivalent entity
The primary legal subdivision of most states. In Louisiana, these subdivisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the county equivalents are boroughs, a legal subdivision, and census areas, a statistical subdivision. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada and Virginia), there are one or more cities that are independent of any county and thus constitute primary subdivisions of their states. The District of Columbia has no primary divisions, and the entire area is considered equivalent to a county for statistical purposes. In Puerto Rico, municipios are treated as county equivalents.
Just the facts: 21 counties (out of 3,140), reported no same-sex couples. The population of these counties is 33,944. More information and tables: 2000 information by county

Educational Attainment
Just the facts: 18.4% persons in a same-sex couples do not have a high school diploma, 23.2% are high school graduates, 21% have some college, 24% are college graduates, and 12.6% have a postgraduate degree. More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Estimates (American Community Survey)
Just the facts: Estimates and sampled data are collected from a sample of housing units and used to produce estimates of the actual figures that would have been obtained by interviewing the entire population using the same methodology. More information and tables:
•American Community Survey
• PUMS - 5% sample.

Handicapped / Disability Data
Just the facts: About 22% of all persons in a same-sex couple report a disability. Out of those, more than half (53.1%) are not employed. More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Hispanic:
Just the facts: 126,419 persons who consider themselves Hispanic or Latino are in a same-sex couple (10.3% of lesbians in female couples and 10.9% of gay men in male couples). 52% of all persons who consider themselves Hispanic or Latino are of Mexican descent. More information and tables: • Race and ethnicity of female same-sex couples.
• Race and ethnicity of male same-sex couples.
• PUMS - 5% sample.

Homeownership
Just the facts: Two thirds (67.6%) of same-sex couples own their own home; 40% of all property owners live in a home valued under $100,000.
19.6% live in a home valued over $250,000, while 5% live in a home valued over $500,000
1% of same-sex couples live in a farm.		 More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Income:
Just the facts: The average income of persons in same sex couples who had a job is $39,017.
Gay men make on average 19% more than lesbians ($42,468 to $35,813).
The average income of same-sex households is $72,122. 5% of those households were under the poverty line, making less than $11,500. 22.3% of all same-households make less than $30,000 a year. Conversely, 22.3% of all same-sex households make $93,000 or more.		 More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Language Use Data:
Just the facts: More than three-quarters (75.8%) of same-sex couple households have their main language as
English. The rest speak Spanish (15.5%), Other Indo-European (5.6%), Asian or Pacific Island
(2.2%) and other (0.9%).		 More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Maps:
Just the facts: gaydemographics.org has a map room with extensive samples of same-sex couple population. More information and tables: Map room.

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
A geographic entity defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies, based on the concept of a core area with a large population nucleus, plus adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core. Qualification of an MSA requires the presence of a city with 50,000 or more inhabitants, or the presence of an Urbanized Area (UA) and a total population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England).
Just the facts: The New York MSA has the highest number of same-sex couples with 52,666. The MSA with the smallest number of couples is Dubuque, IA, with 59. More information and tables: 2000 Census information on Gay and Lesbian Couples, by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Native American Reservations:

Just the facts: The Agua Caliente Reservation, in California, has 465 (9.07%) same-sex couples. Several reservations have no same-sex couples, the biggest ones being Cattaraugus Reservation, New York. More information and tables: •Indian reservations.
• Summary File 2: Native American indian alone, by state

Occupation
Just the facts:

Fifteen professions, out of 476, are one-quarter of all occupations for persons who are part of same-sex couples. These include:
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Retail Sales Workers (2.6%), Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers (2.2%), Retail Salespersons (2.2%), Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (2.1%), Elementary and Middle School Teachers (2.0%),

 More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.

Puerto Rico
Just the facts: The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has been counted as a state for statistical purposes. There are 6,818 same-sex couples in the island. More information and tables: • Puerto Rico.
• SF2: Puertorican descent.

PUMS - Public Use Microdata Samples
Just the facts: For same-sex couples, PUMS include age, ancestry, race, employment and income data, among others. A total of 68,034 persons in same-sex couples (34,017 households) were counted. More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.
• PUMS National Intro.

Race
Just the facts: 89.1% of all same-sex couples have partners of their same race. Racial diversity is almost four times as likely in same-sex couples than in married couples. More information and tables: • PUMS - 5% sample.
• PUMS National Intro.
• Race and ethnicity of female same-sex couples.
• Race and ethnicity of male same-sex couples.

Rural / Urban and Rural Definition
Just the facts: 83.3% of same-sex couples live in urban areas, 16.7% in rural areas. More information and tables:

Federal definition of an urban area.
Rural/urban population breakdown.
2000 Census information on same-sex couples, by town size


Years together:

Just the facts: The Census does not ask unmarried partners the years they have lived together. It does ask
individually, however,whether the main householder and the partner have lived in the same household for the last five years.

Only couples who had the main householder live in the same house for the last five years were considered. This is accounts for 52% of all same-sex households. In the rest, there is no way of knowing where the two persons lived, and with whom.

Did they live together in the last five years: 85% yes, 15% no.

Did they live together1 year or motr: 96% year, 4% no.

More information and tables: •American Community Survey
• PUMS - 5% sample.

ZIP Code Statistics:

Just the facts: 6,135 zip codes report zero same-sex couples. Many of these zip codes include what the Census calls "group quarters", i.e., jails, hospitals, college dorms, etc. According to the Census, 7,778,633 people live in group quarters. The population of the zip codes that report zero same-sex couples is 3,139,011, or barely 1.09% of the total U.S. population. More information and tables: • Zip code tables.
• Tables by state.