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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES IN SOUTH DAKOTA: 1,000 COUPLES LIVE THROUGHOUT STATE; RAISING 900 CHILDREN
 

Press Release
For Immediate Release

June 12, 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 1,000 same-sex couples in South Dakota. The study shows that 41% of the same-sex couples in South Dakota are raising an estimated 898 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples, especially those with children, have fewer economic resources to provide for their families than their married counterparts: they have lower household incomes and lower rates of homeownership.

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

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

·         In 2000, there were 826 same-sex couples living in South Dakota. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 998.

·         There are an estimated 10,554 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in South Dakota.

·         Same-sex couples live in all but one of the counties in South Dakota and constitute 0.5% of coupled households and 0.3% of all households in the state. Minnehaha County reported the most same-sex couples with 184 couples (0.32% of all households in the county), followed by Pennington County with 82 couples (0.24%), and Brown County with 33 couples (0.23%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Shannon County (0.90% of all county households), Dewey County (0.86%), and Bennett County (0.80%).

·         South Dakota’s same-sex couples are significantly more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 27% of individuals in same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 6% 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: 4% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 16% of married individuals.

SOUTH DAKOTA’S SAME-SEX COUPLES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH CHILDREN, HAVE FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN THEIR MARRIED COUNTERPARTS

·         The median income of same-sex coupled households in South Dakota is $18,600, or 61% less than that of married couples ($47,840). The average household income of same-sex couples is $28,521, significantly less than $58,544 for married couples.

·         Same-sex couples are significantly less likely than married couples to own their homes: 29% of same-sex couples in South Dakota own their home, compared to 84% of married couples

·         Same-sex couples with children have far fewer financial resources to support their children than married parents in South Dakota. The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $8,100, or 84% lower than that of married parents ($50,800). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $12,912, significantly less than $61,377 for married parents

·         While 45% of same-sex couples with children own their home, a significantly larger percentage of married parents (82%) own their home.

SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE SOUTH DAKOTA ECONOMY

·         62% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 71% of married individuals.

·         Contrary to a popular stereotype, the annual earnings of individuals in same-sex couples are significantly lower than those of married individuals. On average, men in same-sex couples in South Dakota earn $24,551 each year, significantly less than $37,248 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in South Dakota is $24,000, or 20% less than that of married men ($30,000)

·         Women in same-sex couples in South Dakota earn an average of $9,980 per year, significantly less than $20,015 for married women. The median income of women in same-sex couples is $6,000, or 66% less than that of women in married couples ($17,600).

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

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