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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES IN DELAWARE: NEARLY 2,100 COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE; RAISING AN ESTIMATED 450 CHILDREN
 

Press Release
For Immediate Release

June 19, 2008

Media Contacts:
Gary Gates (310)825-1868/gates@law.ucla.edu

Adam Romero (310)206-0725/romero@law.ucla.edu

LOS ANGELES - Today, the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law released a new research study providing demographic and economic information about the nearly 2,100 same-sex couples in Delaware. The study shows that 12% of the same-sex couples in Delaware are raising an estimated 448 children.

The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/DelawareCensusSnapshot.pdf

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

·         In 2000, there were 1,868 same-sex couples living in Delaware. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 2,087.

·         There are an estimated 24,001 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Delaware.

·         Same-sex couples live in every county in Delaware and constitute 1.1% of coupled households and 0.6% of all households in the state. New Castle County reported the most same-sex couples with 1,100 couples, followed by Sussex County with 559 couples, and Kent County with 209 couples. Sussex County reported the highest percentage of same-sex couples of all households in the county (0.89%), followed by New Castle County (0.58%), and Kent County (0.44%).

·         Delaware’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 21% of individuals in same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 18% of married individuals.

·         Despite the military’s historic policies of excluding gay men and lesbians from service, individuals in same-sex couples have served in the military: 9% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 19% of married individuals.

DELAWARE’S SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING CHILDREN BUT WITH GREATER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS

·         As of 2005, an estimated 448 of Delaware’s children are living in households headed by same-sex couples.

·         The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $85,500, compared to $66,100 for married parents. The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $114,934, compared to $78,704 for married parents.

·         Same-sex parents in Delaware are more likely to own their homes than married parents: all same-sex parents own their home, compared to 82% of married parents.

SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE DELAWARE ECONOMY

·         Individuals in same-sex couples in Delaware are significantly more likely to be employed than married individuals: 86% of individuals in same- sex couples are employed, compared to 66% of married individuals.

·         Contrary to a popular stereotype, the annual earnings of men in same-sex couples are similar to those of married men. On average, men in same-sex couples in Delaware earn $54,821 each year, compared to $50,902 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Delaware is $42,000, compared to $40,000 for married men.

·         Women in same-sex couples in Delaware earn an average of $35,628 per year (with a median of $38,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $28,556 (with a median of $24,000). Women in same-sex couples earn less than married men as well as men in same-sex couples.

Census Snapshots for other states are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html.

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