. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Aug 1.

Published in final edited form as: Demography. 2016 Aug;53(4):937–953. doi: 10.1007/s13524-016-0490-x

Table 1.

Couple characteristics, by union type

	Cohabiting Couples		Married Couples

	Same-Sex	Different-Sex	Different-Sex
Different-Sex
Dissolved (%)	26.8	28.2^a	11.3^*
Socioeconomic and Demographic Characteristics
Age different-sex
Younger partner’s age (median)	41	31^*^a	33^*
5+ years between partners (%)	58.7	39.1^*^a	34.3^*
Race (%)
Both partners white	71.9	59.2^*^a	62.9^*
One partner nonwhite	18.2	13.8^a	10.6
Neither partner white	9.9	26.9^*	26.5^*
Education
Both partners have at least a college degree	42.3	10.3^*^a	23.3^*
One partner has a college degree	29.0	15.7^*^a	21.2^*
Neither partner has a college degree	28.7	74.0^*^a	55.5^*
Monthly Household Income (median) ($)	7,934	4,141^*^a	5,609^*
Minor Child in Household (%)	23.0%	44.1^*^a	53.6^*
DOMA State (%)	31.3	41.7^*	44.0^*
Total(%)	2.0	34.7	63.3
N (unweighted)	126	2,157	6,144

Note: All estimates are weighted with the indicator, WHFNWGT.

Source: 2008 SIPP Core Data File Waves 1–14.

Denotes a significant difference (p < .05) from same-sex couples.

Denotes a difference (p < .05) between different-sex cohabiting and married couples.