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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN OHIO: ALMOST 31,000 COUPLES
LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE; RAISING
ALMOST 12,000 CHILDREN
Press Release January 22, 2008
Media Contacts:
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 almost 31,000 same-sex couples in Ohio. The study shows that about 22% of the same-sex couples in Ohio are raising an estimated 11,950 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples, especially those raising children, have fewer economic resources and own homes at a significantly lower rate than their heterosexual, married counterparts. The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/OhioCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 18,937 same-sex couples living in Ohio. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 30,669. · There are an estimated 335,110 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Ohio. · Same-sex couples live in every county in Ohio and constitute 0.8% of coupled households and 0.4% of all households in the state. Franklin County reported the most same-sex couples with 3,241 couples (0.74% of all county households), followed by Cuyahoga County with 2,694 couples (0.47%), and Hamilton County with 1,620 couples (0.47%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Franklin County (0.74% of all county households), Delaware County (0.55%), and Mergs County (0.49%). · Ohio’s same-sex couples are more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 14% of same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 9% of married couples. · 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 17% of married individuals. OHIO’S SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE RAISING CHILDREN WITH FAR FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS · Same-sex parents have far fewer financial resources to support their children than married parents in Ohio. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $45,300, or 25% lower than that of married parents ($60,200). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $51,569, significantly less than $72,510 for married parents. · While 54% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (83%) own their home. SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE OHIO ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in Ohio are significantly more likely to be employed than are married individuals: 79% 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 Ohio earn $33,644 each year, significantly less than $48,226 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Ohio is $30,000, or 24% less than that of married men ($39,600). · Women in same-sex couples in Ohio earn an average of $30,160 per year (with a median of $24,600), more than married women, whose earnings average $24,275 (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 Indiana and Tennessee, available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html.
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