Providing domestic partner benefits to State of Arizona employees’ domestic partners will have several financial effects on the state. The possibility of cost increases is usually high on the list of employer concerns about partner benefits, although a great deal of evidence suggests that cost increases will be small. However, just as important are the benefits that the State of Arizona will see if state employees can cover a domestic partner, and those benefits will offset some of the costs of coverage. Based on our own research and a review of research of other academics, we conclude that the State of Arizona will see the following effects from offering benefits to state employees’ same-sex or different-sex domestic partners: 1. Spending related to Medicaid and uncompensated health care for uninsured people is likely to fall. 2. Current employees will be healthier, more satisfied, and less likely to leave their jobs. 3. Domestic partner benefits will increase the ability of public employers to recruit talented and committed employees. 4. In addition to the benefits, health care costs would increase by a small amount.

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this report provides demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Iowa. We compare same-sex “unmarried partners,” which the Census Bureau defines as an unmarried couple who “shares living quarters and has a close personal relationship,” to different-sex married couples in Iowa.

In many ways, the almost 5,800 same-sex couples living in Iowa are similar to married couples. According to Census 2000, they live throughout the state, are racially and ethnically diverse, have partners that depend upon one another financially, and actively participate in Iowa’s economy. Census data also show that 19% of same-sex couples in Iowa are raising children. However, same-sex couples in Iowa, particularly those with children, have fewer economic resources to provide for their families than do their married counterparts. They have lower household incomes, on average, and lower rates of home ownership.

This brief explains the methodology used in creating the upcoming series of Census Snapshot reports.

The primary data source for estimates about gay and lesbian households in the United States for the Census Snapshots published by the Williams Institute is the United States 2000 Decennial Census. Unless otherwise noted, we use the 5 percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) to determine the characteristics of same-sex unmarried partner households. The PUMS is a random sample of responses to the census long-form, which contains detailed information about all members of the household.

This analysis estimates the impact of establishing domestic partnership for same-sex couples on Colorado's state budget. Using the best data available, we estimate that allowing same-sex couples to enter into domestic partnerships under the proposed "Colorado Domestic Partnership Benefits and Responsibilities Act" will result in a net gain of approximately $1.2 million each year for the State. This net increase will result from savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefits programs and from an increase in sales tax revenue from registration celebrations.