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Press Release
For Immediate Release

April 16, 2008

Media Contacts:
Adam Romero (310)206-0725 / romero@law.ucla.edu
Gary Gates (310)825-1868 / gates@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 Idaho. The study shows that 16% of the same-sex couples in Idaho are raising an estimated 417 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples with children have fewer economic resources and own homes at a significantly lower rate than heterosexual, married parents. Individuals in same-sex couples are more likely to be employed than married individuals.

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

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
• In 2000, there were 1,873 same-sex couples living in Idaho. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 2,096.
• There are an estimated 23,615 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Idaho.
• Same-sex couples live in all but one of the counties in Idaho and constitute 0.6% of coupled households and 0.4% of all households in the state. Ada County reported the most same-sex couples with 561 couples (0.49% of all households in the county), followed by Canyon County with 168 couples (0.37%), and Kootenai County with 132 couples (0.32%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Lewis County (0.90% of all county households), Adams County (0.77%), Owyhee County (0.67%), and Benewah County (0.67%).
• Idaho’s same-sex couples are significantly more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 19% of individuals in same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 9% of married individuals.
• Despite the military’s historic policies of excluding gay men and lesbians from service, individuals in same-sex couples are more likely to have served in the military: 18% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 17% of married individuals.

IDAHO’S SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING CHILDREN WITH FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS
• Same-sex parents have fewer financial resources to support their children than married parents in Idaho. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $33,000, or 33% lower than that of married parents ($49,600). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $49,190, less than $59,218 for married parents.
• While 45% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a larger percentage of married parents (79%) own their home.

SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE IDAHO ECONOMY
• Individuals in same-sex couples in Idaho are significantly more likely to be employed than married individuals: 85% 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 significantly lower than those of married men. On average, men in same-sex couples in Idaho earn $28,448 each year, significantly less than $39,698 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Idaho is $24,000, or 25% less than that of married men ($32,000).
• Women in same-sex couples in Idaho earn an average of $41,379 per year (with a median of $37,500), more than married women, whose earnings average $19,364 (with a median of $16,000).

The Williams Institute also released today similar Census Snapshots for Montana and Wyoming, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html. 

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