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 Oregon. 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 Oregon.

In many ways, the almost 11,000 same-sex couples living in Oregon are similar to married couples. According to Census 2000, they live throughout the State, are racially and ethnically diverse, actively participate in Oregon's economy, and have partners that depend upon one another financially. Census data also show that 19% of same-sex couples in Oregon are raising children, and they have similar economic resources to provide for their families as married couples.