The count nearly doubled since 2005
Census reported that the number of same-sex couple households in 2024 was nearly twice the 2005 level. Married households drove most of the growth. Unmarried-partner households also grew.
The series uses one-year American Community Survey estimates from 2005 through 2024. It excludes 2020 because pandemic-era data collection affected the standard one-year release.
Female same-sex couple households became more numerous
Female same-sex married couple households grew from about 178,000 in 2005 to roughly 450,000 in 2024. Male same-sex married couple households grew from about 214,000 to 386,000.
By 2024, female same-sex households outnumbered male same-sex households in both the married and unmarried categories.
The ACS household count has limits
The estimate covers a person who identifies another member of the same household as a spouse or unmarried partner. It does not identify every romantic couple, especially partners who live apart or active daters.
Households are not people. A count of 1.4 million couple households usually includes two partners in each household, but it should not be relabeled as 1.4 million individuals.