Shacking up in Seattle

For every four married couples in Seattle, there is one unmarried couple living together. The ratio is 8-to-1 in Washington and 10-to-1 in the U.S. The census does not track sexual orientation but same-sex couples, who tend to gravitate toward Seattle, likely account for some of the difference.

Statewide, the number of unmarried couples - though still relatively small - grew much faster than the number of overall households, mirroring a national trend.

Footnote: Numbers include only couples in which one member is head-of-household.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Analysis by Tom Boyer, Justin Mayo and Stuart Eskenazi: Seattle Times staff.