Ohio has over 28,000 same-sex couples in 2010 Census

by Anthony Glassman

Columbus--Out of Ohio counties with 50 or more same-sex couples in the 2010 Census, Franklin County has the largest percentage, while Cuyahoga did not break the top five, according to analysis put out by the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles.

Out of the batch of six states whose data analysis was released on July 28, Ohio had nearly double the number of same-sex couples as the next-closest state, Missouri, although in terms of per capita same-sex couples, Ohio was second to last. The six states were Idaho, with .56 percent of households reporting same-sex couples, followed by Wisconsin at .60 percent, Ohio with .62 percent, Missouri with .64 percent, Utah with .66 percent and West Virginia with .69 percent.

In comparison of flat numbers, however, Ohio had over 28,600 same-sex couples, while Missouri had only 15,242.

With the exception of Wisconsin, the states each had between one-fifth and one-quarter of those couples raising children in their households. West Virginia, Idaho and Utah at 24 percent, Ohio at 22 percent and Missouri at 21 percent. Only 18 percent of Wisconsin same-sex couples were raising children.

The top five counties in Ohio for percentage of same-sex couples (among counties with 50 or more such couples reported) were Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery, Lucas and Athens, covering four of the state�s major urban areas, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo, along with the home of Ohio university in Athens.

Not on the top five list, however, were Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark or Mahoning.

In terms of cities, however, Lakewood�s percentage of same-sex couples beat out Columbus�, although going by the flat numbers, Columbus clocked in at nearly 4,600 same-sex couples, while Lakewood had 376. They were followed by Bexley, Cleveland Heights and Cincinnati.

Nearly two-thirds of the same-sex couples reporting on the 2010 Census were female, 64 percent, while 36 percent were male. Cuyahoga and Summit counties had a higher concentration of male same-sex couples, while central Ohio showed more female couples.

In the 2000 Census, Ohio had 18,937 same-sex couples, as opposed to 28,602 in 2010. However, differences in the way the Census was handled accounts for some of that difference; the Census actually showed a higher percentage in 2000 of same-sex couple households than in the 2010 iteration.

In the 2000 Census, all 88 counties had at least one same-sex couple; the information is not yet available on whether that holds true for the 2010 Census.

While the full datasets for the 2010 Census are not yet available, the Census Bureau warns against comparing the 2010 figures to those from the American Community Survey, an ongoing analysis of the population that is released periodically between official decennial surveys. Changes in questions create incongruities when comparing responses.

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