Recent Marriages to Same-sex and Different-sex Couples: Mobility, Region, Home Ownership, and Household Income

Family Profile No. 20, 2021
Authors: Krista K. Payne & Wendy D. Manning

In 2015, a U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision ensured that everywhere in the nation, same-sex couples had the legal right to marry.  Thanks to revised household roster data, analyses of newly married same-sex and different-sex couples are possible for the first time with the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS).  We examine differentials in key geographic and economic indicators (mobility, geographic residence, homeownership, and household income) for newly married couples. A focus on newlywed couples, rather than all married couples, provides insights into their circumstances at the time of marriage. Other recent Profiles on newlyweds include Recent Marriages to Same-sex and Different-sex Couples (FP-19-21) and Median Age at First Marriage for Same-sex and Different-sex Couples, 2019 (FP-21-11). This profile uses data from the ACS 1-year PUMS files from 2019 to examine individuals who married in the last year disaggregated by the sex/gender composition of the marriage entered into. Analyses are limited to currently married householders and spouses of householders who married in the last year, and we show 95% confidence intervals in some figures. Note that the sequencing cannot be determined for marriage, moves, residence, and homeownership within the last year.

Marriages and Moves in the Last Year by Gender Composition of the Couple

Note: We cannot distinguish the timing of the move and marriage so some moves may have occurred prior to marriage and others after marriage. We report the share who reported they married and moved in the last year.

Source: NCFMR calculations of the American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2019

Where are they living now? Region of Current Residence and Recently Married Couples

Figure 3. Region of Residence by Gender Composition of Recently
Married Couples, 2019                                                            

Homeownership and Household Income Among Recently Married Couples

• About half of all newlyweds are homeowners regardless of the gender composition of their marriage.
• Despite similar homeownership among recently married couples, median household income varies significantly by the gender composition of the couple.
  • The highest household income was found among men who recently married men. At an average of $147,000 a year, this is significantly higher than men and women who recently entered into a marriage with a different-sex spouse ($107,000) and women who recently entered into a marriage with a same-sex spouse ($96,000).
  • The average household income among different-sex couples who married in the last year was also significantly higher than the household income of female same-sex couples who married in the last year (p < 0.05).

Data Source:
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year estimates, 2019.

Suggested Citation:

Payne, K. K. & Manning, W. D. (2021). Recent marriages to same-sex and different-sex couples: Mobility, region, home ownership, and household income. Family Profiles, FP-21-20. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-21-20

This project is supported with assistance from Bowling Green State University. From 2007 to 2013, support was also provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the state or federal government.