The US Census has recorded a 27% increase in the number of same-sex couples in New York City over the last ten years, but swallow that with a grain of salt: those numbers aren't measuring state-approved marriage licenses, which go into action this July 24.
The above map by WNYC lays out the pattern, and the vast majority of same-sex couples counted by the census live on the west side of Manhattan, in a swath between Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Hell's Kitchen-- not terribly surprising. One tract in Chelsea (between 6th and 8th Avenues, from West 18th to 22nd) wins the percentage game, with a 22% gay and lesbian contingency.
Curiouser is the Brooklyn portion of the census map: the greatest concentration of same-sex households is an area comprising the Navy Yard and Vinegar Hill. Pardon? Well, only 74 couples were surveyed in total. The percentage points for one teeny tiny corner of Fort Greene near BAM runs a close second, though it's a more accurate reading with 299 pairs counted.
The actual census report highlights a gender discrepancy not seen on the map:
Gay male couples outnumbered lesbian couples 226 to 36, pointing to a larger statistic: gay male couples make up 60 percent of the same-sex couples in the city. However, exceptions exist, namely in parts of Park Slope, Brooklyn, where lesbian couples outnumbered gay male couples.
The takeaway? Counting the fact that the Brooklyn and Queens numbers in the 2010 census were called into question by Mr. Mayor himself, we're not sure how accurate the census or its resulting population map can actually be. Snaps for the purple, though!
· Census Shows Rising Number of Gay Couples and Dominicans [WNYC]
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