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 Illinois. 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 Illinois.

In many ways, the more than 30,000 same-sex couples living in Illinois 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 the Illinois economy. Census data also show that 22% of same-sex couples in Illinois are raising children. However, same-sex couples with children in Illinois have fewer economic resources to provide for their families than do their married counterparts. These parents have lower household incomes, on average, and lower rates of home ownership.