Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

The Williams Institute

Other Recent Work bannerUCLA

Estimating the Economic Boost of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in Virginia

Abstract

Extending marriage to same-sex couples in Virginia would generate up to $60 million in spending to the state economy. According to 2010 U.S. Census, the most recent data available, 14,244 same-sex couples live in Virginia. Of those couples, the Institute estimates that 50 percent (7,122 couples) would choose to marry in the first three years, a pattern that has been observed in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Nearly 5,000 marriages would occur in the first year alone, and bring up to $38 million in revenue to the state of Virginia that year. Wedding-related spending and tourism would generate approximately 459 to 595 new jobs in Virginia over the first three years.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View