Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage Equality in Minnesota
Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples in Minnesota would bring an estimated $42 million to the state and local economy. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,207 same-sex couples live in Minnesota. Total state and local tax revenue would rise by $3 million, including an estimated $128,000 in local taxes. As seen in Iowa, same-sex couples from neighboring states that do not allow same-sex couples to marry may travel to Minnesota and generate additional spending on wedding and tourism-related goods and services.
Patterns of Relationship Recognition by Same-Sex Couples in the United States
Since 1997, 19 states and the District of Columbia have extended legal recognition to the relationships of same-sex couples. The form of legal recognition has varied to include marriage, civil unions, state-registered domestic partnerships, and limited-rights statuses, such as reciprocal beneficiary relationships. These varied forms of recognition entail different packages of legal rights and responsibilities for the couples entering them. This study provides a demographic analysis of the same-sex couples who marry, enter civil unions, or register their partnership in these states, covering the full range of legal statuses.
THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF MARRIAGE FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES
In the five states and the District of Columbia that allow same-sex couples to marry, tens of thousands same-sex couples have taken advantage of the opportunity. The demand for marriage shows same-sex couples find marriage to be a valuable status, and studies of same-sex couples suggest they are quite similar to different-sex couples in both the economic and social needs that lead them to marry.