Married Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: A Demographic Portrait, 2024

Family Profile No. 10, 2026
Authors: Krista K. Westrick-Payne & Wendy D. Manning

The first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage was Massachusetts on May 17th, 2004, predating the federal ruling by eleven years. Marking 22 years since the landmark Massachusetts decision we present a demographic portrait of marriages to same-sex and different-sex couples with 2024 data from the American Community Survey 1-year PUMS files. We begin with an overview of married couples followed by comparisons of individuals in same-sex married couples to those in different-sex married couples based on their marital history, age, education, race, ethnicity and nativity. This is an update to a prior profile FP-24-06 (Westrick-Payne & Manning, 2024).

Married Couples

Married Individuals

Number of Times Married

• Most currently married individuals had only been married one time. The share among those with a spouse of the same sex was slightly larger at 80% than among those with a spouse of a different sex at 78%.

Figure 2. Number of Times Married by Couple Type, 2024

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, PUMS, 1-year est., 2024

Note. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Age

• Individuals married to a same-sex spouse were younger on average than those married to a different-sex spouse.
• A larger share of individuals married to a same-sex spouse were in their thirties compared to those married to a different-sex spouse (22% compared to 15%).
• Over two-fifths (43%) of individuals married to a different-sex spouse were over age 60 in contrast to nearly one-third (32%) of those married to a same-sex spouse.

Figure 3. Age Distribution by Couple Type, 2024

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, PUMS, 1-year est., 2024

Note. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Educational Attainment

• Individuals married to same-sex spouses had higher levels of educational attainment than their counterparts married to different-sex spouses.
  • The greatest educational difference existed among those with a high school level of education and those with at least a master’s degree. More than one-quarter (27%) of individuals with a same-sex spouse had at least a master’s degree compared to 18% of those married to a different-sex spouse.

Figure 4. Educational Attainment by Couple Type, 2024

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, PUMS, 1-year est., 2024

Note. HS = high school; GED = general education diploma;  SC = some college; Assoc = associate degree; Bach = bachelor’s degree; Mast+ = master’s degree or higher. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Race, Hispanic Origin, and Nativity

• The share of individuals married to a different-sex spouse and non-Hispanic White was slightly larger than the share of individuals married to a same-sex spouse, 73% compared to 70%.
• Similar shares of individuals married to different-sex and same-sex spouses were non-Hispanic Black (18% vs. 17%).
• Greater shares of individuals married to a different-sex spouse were non-Hispanic Asian (25% vs. 17%) or foreign-born Hispanic (21% vs. 18%) than those married to a same-sex spouse.
• A larger share of individuals married to same-sex spouses were native-born Hispanic (30% versus 21%) or non-Hispanic Other/2+ races (18% vs. 15%) than those married to different-sex spouses.

Figure 5. Race, Hispanic Origin, and Nativity by Couple Type, 2024

Source: NCFMR analyses U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, PUMS, 1-year est., 2024

Note. NH = Non-Hispanic. FB = Foreign-born. NB = Native-born. “NH Asian” includes non-Hispanic individuals identifying as Asian or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. “Other/2+ Races” includes non-Hispanic individuals identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native alone, some other race alone, or two or more races. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.