U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

American Community Survey Briefs

Same-Sex Couple Households Issued September 2011

ACSBR/10-03

By

Daphne Lofquist INTRODUCTION

Living arrangements are rapidly changing 

in America, especially when it comes to 

both same-sex couple households and 

the recognition of same-sex marriages 

by individual states. A description of 

these households is not complete without 

identifying the presence of children in 

these households by their relation to the 

householder—whether they are biological children, stepchildren, or adopted 

children. This report addresses these 

topics by presenting data from the 2010 

American Community Survey (ACS) on 

same-sex couple households at national 

and state levels. The data in this report 

are for households, not individuals. 

This report is one of a series produced 

to highlight results from the 2010 ACS. 

The ACS provides detailed estimates 

of demographic, social, economic, and 

housing characteristics for congressional districts, counties, places, and other 

localities every year. A description of the 

ACS is provided in the text box “What 

Is the American Community Survey?”

SAME-SEX COUPLE HOUSEHOLDS 

BY STATE

Approximately 594,000 same-sex couple 

households lived in the United States 

in 2010, not statistically different from 

the 581,000 households reported in the 

2009 ACS.1 Nationally, about 1 percent 

of all couple households were same-sex 

1 The 2009 ACS number of same-sex couples can 

be found at <www.census.gov/population/www

/socdemo/files/ssex-tables-2009.xls>.

Same-sex couple households: 

These households are identified using both the relationship 

to householder and sex items. 

Total couple households: The 

total of those households where 

the householder reports having a spouse or unmarried partner in the household. Includes 

opposite-sex and same-sex married and unmarried couples.

Unmarried partner: A person 

reported as an “unmarried partner” of the householder and who 

shares a close personal relationship with the reference person. 

Reported as spouse: Those 

in same-sex couple households 

who were originally reported as a 

spouse of the householder. Samesex spouses were edited during 

processing to “unmarried partner.” 

Own child: A never married 

child under 18 years old who is a 

son or daughter by birth, marriage (stepchild), or adoption. 

couples. The percentage of same-sex 

couple households for the 50 states and 

the District of Columbia ranged from 

0.29 percent for Wyoming and 4.01 

percent for the District of Columbia 

(see map). Seventeen states and 

the District of Columbia had higher 
U.S. Census Bureau 2

percentages of same-sex couple 

households than the nation. 

The legal recognition of same-sex 

couple households vary by state. 

In 2010, 42,000 of these households were in states that performed 

same-sex marriages, while 169,000 

were in states that had either 

registered domestic partnerships 

or civil unions (Table 1). Over half 

(90,000) of same-sex couple households either registered domestic partnerships or civil unions 

resided in the state of California. 

Overall, 25.7 percent of all samesex couple households in 2010 

reported that they were spouses 

(152,000). Administrative records 

indicate less than 50,000 same-sex 

marriages were performed in the 

United States between 2004 (when 

same-sex marriages were first 

legalized in Massachusetts) and 

2010.2 In states where samesex marriages were performed, 

42.4 percent of same-sex couple 

households were reported as 

spouses compared with 28.2 

percent for states with domestic 

partnerships or civil unions and 

22.7 percent for all other states. 

SAME-SEX COUPLE 

HOUSEHOLDS WITH 

CHILDREN

Out of the 594,000 same-sex couple households, 115,000 reported 

having children. Eighty-four percent 

2 Renna, Cathy., “The Williams Institute 

Experts Comment on Department of Justice 

DOMA Decision,” February 24, 2011, press 

release prepared by the Williams Institute, 

UCLA School of Law.

of these households contained own 

children of the householder (Table 

2). In comparison, 94 percent of 

opposite-sex married couple households with children reported living 

with their own children. Samesex couple households may have 

reported higher proportions of nonrelated children because they may 

have been children of the partner 

of the householder. This is clearly 

seen in Table 2 where same-sex 

couples are shown by whether they 

reported as spouse or unmarried 

partner. While 94 percent of married opposite-sex couples were living with own children in 2010, 89 

percent of same-sex spousal households with children reported having 

own children of the householder 

present. In comparison, 81 percent 

of same-sex unmarried partner 

Same-Sex Couple Households as a Percent

of Total Couple Households by State: 2010

United States = 0.95 percent

Percent of Same-Sex

Couple Households

1.76–4.01

0.96–1.75

0.67–0.95

0.29–0.66

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey.

MT

AK

NM

OR MN

KS

SD

ND

MO

WA

FL

IL IN

WI NY

PA

MI

OH

IA

ME

MA 

CT 

AZ

NV

TX

CA CO

WY

UT

ID

NE

OK

GA

AR

AL

NC

MS

LA

TN

KY

VA

SC

WV

RI 

DE 

MD 

NJ 

HI

VT NH

DC 
U.S. Census Bureau 3

household with children contained adopted, or stepchildren. In 2010, percent had only biological chilchildren of the householder. about 9 out of 10 married opposite- dren, while 21 percent had either 

sex couple households with own stepchildren only or adopted only. The second panel of Table 2 children contained only the biologi- In same-sex unmarried partner shows more detailed categories of cal children of the householder. Of households with own children, own children living in a house- all same-sex couple households only 67 percent had only biological hold—whether they are biological, with own children present, 73 children compared with 80 percent 

Table 1.

Distribution of Same-Sex Couple Households by States Grouped by Legal Recognition of 

Same-Sex Couple Marriages and Unions: 2010

(In percent. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/acs/www)

Legal recognition

Total Reported as spouse Unmarried partner

Estimate

Margin of 

error (±)1 Percent

Margin of 

error (±)1 Percent

Margin of 

error (±)1

 Total same-sex couple households . . . 593,324 11,395 25 .7 0 .8 74 .3 0 .8

States performing same-sex marriages2 . . . . . . . . 42,195 3,055 42 .4 3 .7 57 .6 3 .7

Domestic partnership/Civil unions3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 169,205 6,133 28 .2 1 .4 71 .8 1 .4

 California3A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90,023 4,569 32 .1 2 .4 67 .9 2 .4

All other states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381,924 8,804 22 .7 0 .9 77 .3 0 .9

1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability . A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability . The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate . When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval .

2

 This includes Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the District of Columbia .

3

 This includes California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin .

3A California performed same-sex marriages from June to November 2008 .

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey .

Table 2.

Couple Households With Children: 2010

(In percent. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/acs/www)

Married Unmarried Total Same-sex couples by reporting status

Characteristic

opposite-sex

couples

opposite-sex

couples

same-sex

couples

Same-sex

spouse

Same-sex

unmarried partner

Percent

Margin 

of 

error (±)1 Percent

Margin 

of 

error (±)1 Percent

Margin 

of 

error (±)1 Percent

Margin 

of 

error (±)1 Percent

Margin 

of 

error (±)1

 Households with children 

 (number) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,443,599 83,848 2,684,978 23,359 115,064 5,516 43,933 2,901 71,131 4,381

Own children present2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 .8 0 .05 88 .5 0 .20 84 .1 0 .93 89 .0 1 .43 81 .1 1 .48

No own children present3 . . . . . . . . . . .

 Households with own 

6 .2 0 .05 11 .5 0 .20 15 .9 0 .93 11 .0 1 .43 18 .9 1 .48

 children only . . . . . . . . . . . 22,872,151 86,426 2,267,016 20,771 94,627 5,026 38,778 2,738 55,849 4,077

Biological only4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 .8 0 .10 88 .0 0 .41 72 .8 2 .71 80 .4 3 .11 67 .4 3 .81

Step only or adopted only5 . . . . . . . . . . 4 .4 0 .07 5 .2 0 .30 21 .2 2 .26 13 .1 2 .83 26 .8 3 .36

Combination of own children only6 . . . 4 .8 0 .07 6 .8 0 .30 6 .0 1 .51 6 .4 1 .84 5 .7 1 .81

1

 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability . A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability . The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate . When added to and subtracted from the estimate, the margin of error forms the 90 percent 

confidence interval .

2

 Households with at least one own child present under the age of 18 years . Can contain not own children as well .

3

 Households that contain grandchildren, other relatives, or other nonrelatives under the age of 18 years .

4

 Households with biological children only .

5

 Households with either stepchild only or adopted child only . 

6

 Combination of two or more of the three own children types .

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey .
U.S. Census Bureau 4

in spouse households. Among both 

same-sex spousal and unmarried 

partner households, family units 

consisting of children of the partner 

or through adoption are common.

Statistics on same-sex couples from 

the 2010 Census are also available 

for comparison purposes with the 

2010 ACS. Detailed tables on the 

estimates of same-sex couples living with children for the nation and 

individual states and a technical 

evaluation of these estimates from 

both data sources can be found by 

accessing the Web page “American 

Community Survey Data on Same 

Sex Couples” <www.census.gov

/hhes/samesex/data/acs.html>.

SOURCE AND ACCURACY

Data presented in this report are 

based on people and households 

that responded to the ACS in 2010. 

The resulting estimates are representative of the entire population. 

All comparisons presented in this 

report have taken sampling error 

into account and are significant 

at the 90 percent confidence level 

unless otherwise noted. Due to 

rounding, some details may not 

sum to totals. For information on 

sampling and estimation methods, 

confidentiality protection, and 

sampling and nonsampling errors, 

please see the “2010 ACS Accuracy 

of the Data” document located at 

<www.census.gov/acs/www

/Downloads/data_documentation

/Accuracy/ACS_Accuracy_of

_Data_2010.pdf>.

What Is the American Community Survey?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities with reliable and timely 

demographic, social, economic, and housing data for the nation, 

states, congressional districts, counties, places, and other localities every year. It has an annual sample size of about 3 million 

addresses across the United States and Puerto Rico and includes 

both housing units and group quarters (e.g., nursing facilities 

and prisons). The ACS is conducted in every county throughout 

the nation and every municipio in Puerto Rico, where it is called 

the Puerto Rico Community Survey. Beginning in 2006, ACS data 

for 2005 were released for geographic areas with populations 

of 65,000 and greater. For more information on the ACS sample 

design and other topics, visit <www.census.gov/acs/www>.