According to preliminary results of the 2010 U. S. Census, there are more than 33,000 same-sex couples living in the Keystone State, about a fifth of whom live in Philadelphia.
The U.S. Census Bureau last week began releasing initial numbers on same-sex couples in each state — the first time such data is available, as no previous Census report included accurate information on same-sex couples.
Such couplings were counted when a Census respondent identified as Person 1 listed another adult in the household who was of the same sex as a husband/wife or unmarried partner.
The Census reported a total of 33,602 same-sex couples living in the Keystone State, with the overall rate of same-sex couples per 1,000 households at 6.7.
The raw data reported by the Census were adjusted slightly by LGBT thinktank Williams Institute to allow for minimal mistakes by some opposite-sex couples, as well as the likelihood that some same-sex couples, intentionally or not, did not correctly identify their status.
“At very small rates, different-sex couples do make mistakes on their forms,” said Williams Institute researcher Dr. Gary Gates. “Even if it is a very small number, because there aren’t that many same-sex couples, it can comprise a very big portion, so we do make some adjustments.”
According to the Census, the greatest number of same-sex couples in the Keystone State live in Philadelphia County — 5,712 — although the Williams Institute adjusted that number to 6,371, approximately 19 percent of the state’s total population of same-sex couples.
A much larger percentage of same-sex couples identified as female, with 63 percent of the couples reporting as female and 37 percent as male.
Approximately 20 percent, or 6,624, of the couples are raising children.
After Philadelphia, the greatest number of same-sex couples are living in the counties of Dauphin, Monroe, Pike and Wayne.
Philadelphia boasted the highest number of such couples, with such pairings accounting for about 10.62 per every 1,000 households, or about 1 percent of the city’s total households.
In contrast, New Hope took the top spot in concentration of same-sex couples, with 58.55 same-sex households per every 1,000, or about 5.8 percent. Following New Hope, the cities with the highest concentrations were Lansdowne, Wilkinsburg, Harrisburg and Morrisville.
Gates said that, nationally, Palm Springs, Calif., was leading the pack in terms of concentration, with 115 same-sex couples per every 1,000 households, followed by Rehoboth Beach, Del., which reported 107 same-sex couples per 1,000 households.
Delaware reported 3,352 couples, 19 percent of whom were raising children.
In Pennsylvania, there were high concentrations of same-sex couples raising children in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania.
Gates attributed the first region largely to the close proximity to New York City and the second to a trend researchers have seen in numerous states.
“The places where we see same-sex couples are at the highest rates are not oftentimes where we see same-sex couples most likely to have kids,” he explained. “One of the reasons is that a large portion of the childrearing happening among same-sex couples is a product of people having children early in life when they weren’t out and now raising those kids as part of a same-sex couple. That scenario is more common in socially conservative areas, where people are more likely to maybe get married young and have kids and not come out until later in life. So in that area people call Pennsyltucky, the central and south-central counties there, is where we have couples who are more likely to be raising children.”
Gates also noted that, while many conservative areas of Pennsylvania may not seem conducive to LGBT life, there are same-sex couples living in every county in the state.
In addition to Pennsylvania, limited data has been released on Delaware, Hawaii, California, Alabama, Wyoming and Kansas, and more reports will be released throughout the summer.
The Williams Institute will post data on same-sex couples each Thursday at www3.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].