Volume 54 - Article 11 | Pages 351–370  

Partnership patterns and living arrangements of LGBTQ+ identifying US adults: Estimates from a probability-based survey

By Christopher Julian, D'Lane Compton, Gayle Kaufman

Abstract

Background: Most national surveys exclude sexual and gender identity (SOGI) measures or do not link them with household rosters and non-coresidential partnership questions, limiting demographic estimates of LGBTQ+ family life.

Objective: We examine differences in relationship status and living arrangements between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ identifying US adults. Specifically, we compare the shares of those who live with a spouse, live with an unmarried partner, have a non-coresidential partner, or have no partner. We also assess household size and composition, including living alone, coresidence with children and/or other family, and living with unrelated roommates.

Methods: Data come from the 2021 American Marriage Survey, a probability-based survey of 2,806 US adults recruited through the AmeriSpeak panel of the National Opinion Research Center.

Results: LGBTQ+ identifying adults were less likely than non-LGBTQ+ identifying adults to be in a coresidential marital relationship but were more likely to report an unmarried cohabiting partner, a non-coresidential partner, or no partner. They were also more likely to live alone or with unrelated roommates and less likely to live with children. Consequently, LGBTQ+ identifying adults tend to live in smaller households, which may heighten social isolation risk.

Conclusions: Findings underscore the need for national surveys to integrate SOGI questions with detailed measures of relationships and living arrangements to capture diverse family structures and inform policies supporting LGBTQ+ well-being. Conventional surveys often disproportionately undercount LGBTQ+ relationships by excluding non-coresidential partners.

Contribution: This analysis provides nationally representative estimates of relationship status and household composition, revealing distinct partnership patterns and living arrangements among LGBTQ+ identifying adults compared to non-LGBTQ+ identifying adults.

Author’s Affiliation

• Christopher Julian - Vanderbilt University, United States of America EMAIL
• D'Lane Compton - University of New Orleans, United States of America EMAIL
• Gayle Kaufman - Davidson College, United States of America EMAIL

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