A critical role of American families is to support and raise children and LGBT families are increasingly an integral part of communities across the United States.
Since 2015, the U.S. has ensured marriage equality by guaranteeing all couples the same legal right to marry. The U.S. Census Bureau has kept pace with these changes in marriage and modified the household roster in the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) to directly identify same-sex couples.
This data provides the most up-to-date evidence about the share of couples raising children, disaggregating across different-sex and same-sex couples as well as across marriage and cohabitation, and researchers at Bowling Green State University have examined how family composition in the United States has changed over the last several decades.
They show more diversity is present in terms of family structure.
In 2022, a total of 286,059 children lived with same-sex couples across 171,324 households in the United States, according to a report based on the American Community Survey data.
This report, an update of a 2021 Family Profile by Krista K. Westrick-Payne and Wendy D. Manning, provides the most recent estimates on the share of couples raising children, categorized by different-sex and same-sex couples, as well as by marital status and age.
The data shows significant differences in the percentages of couples raising children based on the couple’s sex composition and marital status.
Among different-sex couples, more than half (55.2%) of married couples were raising children, compared to 36.2% of cohabiting couples.
In contrast, same-sex couples were less likely to be raising children, with 31.6% of married female couples and 9.9% of married male couples having children. Cohabiting same-sex couples were less likely to raise children than their married counterparts.
The analysis also revealed variations based on the age of the younger member of the couple. Among couples aged 18 to 29, 42.6% of different-sex couples, 14% of female same-sex couples, and 3.1% of male same-sex couples were raising children.
The age group with the highest share of couples raising children was 30 to 39 years old. In this group, 75.3% of different-sex couples and 38.6% of female same-sex couples had children.
Among male same-sex couples, the highest share raising children was in the 40 to 49 age group, at 10.9%. The share of couples raising children dropped significantly among those aged 50 to 59, with 16.5% for different-sex couples, 7.6% for female same-sex couples, and 4.0% for male same-sex couples.
This analysis is based on the American Community Survey’s 2022 data and considers the relationships of household members to the householder, presenting a snapshot of couples raising either biological, adopted, step, or foster children. The findings emphasize the importance of distinguishing between different-sex and same-sex couples, as well as their marital status, to understand the diverse family structures in the United States.
The report underscores that different-sex couples, particularly those who are married, are more likely to be raising children compared to same-sex couples. Among same-sex couples, female couples are more likely to be raising children than male couples, with marriage playing a crucial role in the likelihood of raising children.
This updated profile provides valuable insights into the family lives of same-sex couples and the presence of children in their households, contributing to a broader understanding of family dynamics in the United States.
The report was authored by Krista K. Westrick-Payne and Wendy D. Manning and was published by the National Center for Family & Marriage Research.
The National Center for Family & Marriage Research (NCFMR) was established in 2007 to improve our understanding of how family structure is linked to the health and well-being of children, adults, families, and communities and to inform policy development and programmatic responses.
Manning and Susan L. Brown codirect the NCFMR at Bowling Green State University.