The Williams Institute

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 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 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 Puerto Rico.

In many ways, the nearly 7,000 same-sex couples living in Puerto Rico are similar to married couples. According to Census 2000, they live throughout the Commonwealth, are racially and ethnically diverse, have partners who depend upon one another financially, and actively participate in Puerto Rico’s economy. Census data also show that 35% of same-sex couples in Puerto Rico are raising children. However, 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.