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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN MINNESOTA: MORE THAN 16,000
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING AN ESTIMATED 5,550
CHILDREN
Press Release June 12, 2008
Media Contacts:
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 more than 16,000 same-sex couples in Minnesota. The study shows that 20% of the same-sex couples in Minnesota are raising an estimated 5,550 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples have economic resources to provide for their families similar to their married counterparts. The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/MinnesotaCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 9,147 same-sex couples living in Minnesota. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 16,081. · There are an estimated 175,611 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Minnesota. · Same-sex couples live in almost every county in Minnesota and constitute 0.8% of coupled households and 0.5% of all households in the state. Hennepin County reported the most same-sex couples with 3,987 couples (0.87% of all households in the county), followed by Ramsey County with 1,285 couples (0.64%), and Dakota County with 448 couples (0.34%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Hennepin County (0.87% of all county households), Cook County (0.72%), and Mahnomen County (0.66%). · Minnesota’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 8% of individuals in same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 7% 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: 6% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 16% of married individuals. MINNESOTA’S SAME-SEX COUPLES HAVE ECONOMIC RESOURCES SIMILAR TO MARRIED HOUSEHOLDS · The median income of same-sex coupled households in Minnesota is $72,390, compared to $62,760 for married couples. The average household income of same-sex couples is $81,710, compared to $76,275 for married couples. · Same-sex couples are significantly less likely than married couples to own their homes: 79% of same-sex couples in Minnesota own their home, compared to 90% of married couples. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE MINNESOTA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Minnesota are significantly more likely to be employed than married individuals: 86% of individuals in same- sex couples are employed, compared to 73% 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 Minnesota earn $35,271 each year, significantly less than $50,692 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Minnesota is $32,200, or 20% less than that of married men ($40,000). · Women in same-sex couples in Minnesota earn an average of $40,483 per year (with a median of $33,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $26,335 (with a median of $22,000). Women in same-sex couples earn less than married men. The Williams Institute also released today a similar Census Snapshots for North Dakota and South Dakota, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html.
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