Marriages by same-sex couples have generated an estimated $813 million boost to state and local economies and $52 million in state and local sales tax revenue since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision extending marriage equality nationwide in June, according to a new study by Christy Mallory, Senior Counsel and Anna M. Curren Fellow at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.
Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, 96,000 same-sex couples have tied the knot. This study, titled “Estimating the Economic Impact of Marriage for Same-sex Couples after Obergefell,” estimates the impact of those marriages on state and local economies, sales tax revenue and job creation.
“This study shows that businesses and governments have benefited from marriage for same-sex couples,” Mallory said.
Key findings from the report include:
• Total spending on those marriages generated an estimated $813 million, including $635 million on weddings and $178 million by out-of-state guests.
• This economic boost has added an estimated $52 million in sales tax revenue to state and local coffers.
• This spending could support an estimated 9,700 jobs for one full year.
The methodology used in this study is similar to that used in previous Williams Institute studies that have estimated the economic impact of marriage for same-sex couples at the state level. Click here for the full report.