DENVER—The number of same-sex households in Colorado jumped by about 60 percent in the past decade, and more than one in five gay couples in the state are raising children, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday.
The data puts Colorado in line with other states showing more same-sex households. In addition, Colorado followed national trends showing more households involving unmarried couples and declining home ownership rates for Latinos, who were hit hard by the housing crash.
The 2010 census was the first to ask same-sex households about children.
“I think that this information being out will help people understand that gay and lesbian couples are in all parts of the community,” said Robin Kniech, a recently elected member of the Denver City Council who is raising a 2-year-old boy with her gay partner.
The census figures offer a detailed look at a number of household characteristics, including who owns homes and leads households.
Colorado’s figures show the number of households that reported being led by a same-sex couple rose from 10,045 in 2000 to 16,114 in 2010, an increase of 60.4 percent. Before 2000, the Census Bureau didn’t count same-sex households.
Same-sex households with children numbered 3,690 in 2010, or about 23 percent of all gay households. Of those, 2,435 were lesbian homes and 1,255 were homes led by gay men.
Colorado’s biggest cities had the highest numbers of gay couples and same-sex couples with children. Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora ranked first, second and third in both categories.
Gay advocates say same-sex households aren’t necessarily becoming more common, but people feel more comfortable describing their homes as public opinion shifts.
Jessie Ulibarri, who is raising a 12-year-old boy and 8-month-old daughter with his gay partner Louis Trujillo, said greater representation of same-sex couples in television shows and increased visibility of gay couples in communities have made homosexuals feel more accepted in society.
“It leads to more of a comfort of being out yourself. Ten years ago, I was not out,” said Ulibarri, public policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Colorado.
The numbers released so far for 12 states suggest there will likely be a higher number of gay households nationwide in 2010 compared to 2000. Already announced same-sex numbers equal about 41 percent of the national tally in 2000, though the numbers released so far account for about a quarter of the national population. The states with data released so far include Alabama, Alaska, California and Pennsylvania.
The growth of reported same-sex households could mean political change. Colorado voters banned gay marriage in the state constitution in 2006, but a civil measure before lawmakers this year cleared the Democratic Senate but narrowly failed in a Republican House committee.
Last week, New York became the largest state to approve gay marriage. Gay rights advocates hope census numbers in Colorado and other states will translate to more same-sex couples being able to marry or have civil unions.
“Visibility and openness is powerful,” Kniech said.
Thursday’s census release includes much more information. Housing data showed a slight decline in homeownership, especially in the number of Latinos who own homes.
Statewide, Hispanic or Latino homeownership in the past decade dipped to 49.6 percent. In the 2000 census, just over 53 percent of Hispanic households said they owned the property where they lived.
Colorado’s overall home ownership rate also declined. In 2010 the statewide rate was about 66 percent, down from about 67 percent in 2000.
Analysts have said new homebuyers of color were disproportionately hurt by the housing bust, a trend that appeared to play out in Colorado.
“The foreclosure losses hit the Hispanic community very strongly,” said Gene Lucero, owner of Lucero Real Estate in Denver. Lucero said Hispanics last decade were more vulnerable because they were more likely to be first-time homeowners and more likely to work in industries hard-hit by the downturn, such as construction.
As in the previous decade, Hispanic homeownership varied widely across the state. It tended to be higher in southern Colorado, where Hispanics are more established and more likely to own homes. In both Conejos and Costilla counties, more than 75 percent of Latino householders owned their homes. In Pueblo County, Latino homeownership was nearly 58 percent.
Farther north, Latino renters and homeowners were nearly equal in many areas. Latino homeownership was about 49 percent in El Paso County. about 53 percent in Adams County, 47 percent in Jefferson County, and 43 percent in Weld County. The rate in Denver dropped from about 45 percent in 2000 to just below 42 percent in 2010.
Latino homeownership rates were much lower in some mountain resort counties. Less than 35 percent of Latino householders in Pitkin County said they owned their homes, and 26 percent of Latinos in Summit County owned their homes.
———
Follow Ivan Moreno at and Kristen Wyatt at
