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UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
RELEASES NEW STUDY ANALYZING
CENSUS DATA ON SAME-SEX COUPLES
IN SOUTH CAROLINA: MORE THAN
10,500 COUPLES LIVE
THROUGHOUT STATE; RAISING AN
ESTIMATED 3,800 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 South Carolina. The study shows that 21% of the same-sex couples in South Carolina are raising an estimated 3,770 children. The study also shows that same-sex couples, especially those with children, have fewer economic resources to provide for their families than do their married counterparts. The full report may be found at: http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/SouthCarolinaCensusSnapshot.pdf KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: · In 2000, there were 7,609 same-sex couples living in South Carolina. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to 10,563. · There are an estimated 117,033 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in South Carolina. · Same-sex couples live in every county in South Carolina and constitute 0.9% of coupled households and 0.5% of all households in the state. Charleston County reported the most same-sex couples with 799 couples (0.65% of all households in the county), followed by Greenville County with 707 couples (0.47%), and Richland County with 624 couples (0.52%). The counties with the highest percentage of same-sex couples are Allendale County (0.79% of all county households), Calhoun County (0.73%), and Williamsburg County (0.67%). · South Carolina’s same-sex couples are significantly more racially and ethnically diverse than their married counterparts: 28% of individuals in same-sex couples are nonwhite, compared to 21% 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.
SOUTH 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 $35,500, or 34% lower than that of married parents ($53,900). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $39,380, significantly less than that of married parents ($64,416). · While 64% 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 CAROLINA ECONOMY · Individuals in same-sex couples in South Carolina are significantly more likely to be employed than married individuals: 73% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 65% 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 South Carolina earn $27,417 each year, significantly less than the $42,810 average earnings of married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in South Carolina is $24,000, or 28% less than that of married men ($33,500). · Women in same-sex couples in South Carolina earn an average of $26,569 per year (with a median of $20,000), more than married women, whose earnings average $23,173 (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 North Carolina and Kentucky, which are available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html.
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