Study finds same-sex couples overwhelmingly choose marriage over domestic partnership
Feb 22nd 2026
Analysis of California records and a national survey published in the Journal of Marriage and Family shows same-sex couples prefer marriage for legal protections, social clarity, and perceived commitment when both options are available.
- After California legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, new domestic partnership filings fell sharply and marriages outnumbered partnerships by more than 22 to 1 in late 2013 and about 13 to 1 in 2016 to 2018.
- A 2022 national survey found roughly three times as many same-sex respondents preferred marriage to domestic partnership.
- Respondents cited legal and practical benefits such as federal recognition, tax advantages, and portability as primary reasons for choosing marriage.
- Many also said marriage communicates a clearer social status and a higher level of commitment than domestic partnership.
- The study uses California administrative data and a small national survey sample, so findings may not generalize to states without robust domestic partnership laws or to all demographics.