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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN NORTH CAROLINA: NEARLY 20,000
COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE;
RAISING AN ESTIMATED 7,500
CHILDREN
Press Release June 17, 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 nearly 20,000 same-sex couples in North Carolina. The study shows that 22% of the same-sex couples in North Carolina are raising an estimated 7,437 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples with children have fewer economic resources to provide for their families than do married parents and lower rates of homeownership.
The full report
may be found at:
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 16,198 same-sex couples living in North Carolina. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 19,648. · There are an estimated 212,104 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in North Carolina. · Same-sex couples live in every county in North Carolina and constitute 0.9% of coupled households and 0.5% of all households in the state. Mecklenburg County reported the most same-sex couples with 1,777 couples (0.65% of all county households), followed by Wake County with 1,291 couples (0.53%), and Guilford County with 902 couples (0.53%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Durham County (0.85% of all county households), Buncombe County (0.79%), and Greene County (0.75%). · North Carolina’s same-sex couples are significantly more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 24% of individuals in same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 19% 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: 11% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 17% of married individuals.
NORTH CAROLINA’S
SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING
CHILDREN BUT WITH FEWER ECONOMIC
RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS · The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $38,900, or 29% lower than that of married parents ($55,000). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $44,635, significantly less than the $67,652 average household income for married parents. · While 52% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (79%) own their home. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE NORTH CAROLINA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in North Carolina are significantly more likely to be employed than married individuals: 78% 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 North Carolina earn $34,810 each year, significantly less than the $44,356 average earnings of married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in North Carolina is $28,000, or 16% less than that of married men ($33,500). · Women in same-sex couples in North Carolina earn an average of $29,572 per year (with a median of $24,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $24,457 (with a median of $20,000). Women in same-sex couples earn less than married men as well as men in same-sex couples. The Williams Institute also released today similar Census Snapshots for South Carolina and Kentucky, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html.
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