The latest Census data indicates that 131,729 same-sex couples “claim” to be married.  I say “claim” because this number exceeds the number of legal same-sex marriages in the United States (where currently only 5 states and D.C. have legalized same-sex marriage).  Indeed, it exceeds the number of same-sex marriages and same-sex civil unions combined (which is closer to 100,000).  Apparently many of these couples are basing their marital status on the way they feel about each other rather than on an actual legal status.  The Census also revealed that there are 646,464 same-sex households in the United States, which constitutes slightly more than ½ of 1% of the population.  Taking the 131,729 same-sex marriages at face-value, this would mean 20.2% of same-sex households are married.  If we look only at the number of legally recognized same-sex relationships (including both marriages and civil unions), then only 15.5% of same-sex couples have a legally recognized relationship.  Given the fact that there are more same-sex relationships than there are same-sex households, the percentage of same-sex marriages among same-sex couples would be even lower.

Interestingly, the state with the highest percentage of households headed by a same-sex couple was not California, but the District of Columbia with nearly 2% of all households.  D.C. was followed by was in Washington, D.C., at nearly 2 percent. Washington was followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Delaware, New Mexico, and Washington.