Census data shows Buncombe County has highest rate of same-sex couples in North Carolina

More same-sex couples per-capita live in Buncombe County than anywhere else in North Carolina, according to a study of U.S. Census data done by the Williams Institute and recently reported in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Buncombe County has 15.5 same-sex couples for every 1,000 residents — the highest rate of any other county in the state. Durham County ranked second with 12.7 per 1,000 residents. In Asheville, the rates appear to be even higher: 19.7 same-sex couples per 1,000 compared to the city of Durham’s 13.2.

Other Western North Carolina counties rank high for same-sex male and same-sex female couples: From Avery County to Macon County, the 12-county region has some of the highest rates of same-sex male couples in the state —3 per 1,000 residents. And the five-county area from Madison to Transylvania has some of the highest rates of same-sex female couples — more than 5 per 1,000.

According to the Citizen-Times summary, the number of same-sex couples in Buncombe County has increased by 110 percent in the last 10 years. The Williams study also found that up to 25 percent of same-couples in WNC are raising children.

But in a survey the group did of same-sex couples last year, researchers found that around one in seven same-sex couples were not counted by the Census: Some couples were not identifying themselves as partners, and some same-sex couples live in homes where neither was the householder.

The Institute is a research center for sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy based at the UCLA School of Law. The group takes Census data and adjusts it for what it says are potential undercounts. For more information on the Williams Institute study, click here.

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13 thoughts on “Census data shows Buncombe County has highest rate of same-sex couples in North Carolina

  1. chuck giezentanner

    This article was in the Asheville Citizen Times, and they allowed comments like “I hope AIDS will stop this population growth” and “Asheville is a hot bed of HIV.” I called SEVERAL times to the newsroom and left exactly 7 messages with various people. I even emailed EVERY editor on their website asking why they allow comments that are BEYOND hate in response to articles. The story appeared on July 1st, as of July 10th ALL the comments were left intact AND several more comments of the same nature were added. I am disgusted by the Asheville Citizen Times. I plan on making this VERY public knowledge in our wonderful city. Gays are a significant economic and social addition to this town, and they should know that the paper does not back them up.

  2. dpewen

    I agree Chuck and have seen the comments … this is what happens when ignorant people have internet access!

  3. Jessica B.

    As a poster on the Citizen-Times forum, I agree with Chuck’s comments. Just remember that sock-puppetry is the norm for some folks on that forum and many comments of that type are coming from one or two people with multiple screen names. That said, a forum moderated by a human being instead of a computer filter would be a welcome change of pace at the Citizen-Times.

  4. The AC-T’s “forums” are probably not maintained or moderated locally.

    Keep hammering on them, though. The Charleston Post & Courier has either asserted control of theirs or requested it (it’s the same system as Asheville’s) and often times posts are replaced by “Under Review”. It wasn’t always the case, though.

    Oh, and if you ever want to read some consistently heartbreaking ignorance, check out the comments on any story about black people, Hispanics, crime, or Obama.

  5. Now, that’s a typical Lefty position on Free Speech:

    “Free Speech for Me, But Not for Thee”.

    Even offensive speech is protected, like what happens at the MX Forums, where lefties run the mirror image of the AC-T Forums…only it is a ghost town.

    And you people still want to maintain that Asheville is the heart of western North Carolina?

  6. And that’s a typical right-wing defense of hate speech.

    “The free market works, but only when it works for us”

    If a community is not able to vote on comments that it sees on a public forum, how can there be any free market of ideas? If you are trying to give equal weight and protection to all statements, then you are really trying to justify some form of post-modern cultural relativism.

    Are you sure you’re a conservative?

    Now, there are certainly constitutional protection for unpopular ideas. Opposing gay marriage is increasingly an unpopular idea. And you are completely fine to come up with whatever argument against it you want to.

    But wishing death on an entire group of people? Well, sure, it’s protected.

    But it’s also well within the rights of a community to decide they don’t support it. I think that might be part of the free marketplace of ideas.

    Like a free market. Don’t you support a free market?

    Seriously, are you sure you’re a conservative?

  7. Betty Cloer Wallace

    According to the article, all of WNC “ranks high for same-sex male and same-sex female couples,” some counties with higher numbers than others for male and/or female couples, which is one of the many reasons WNC is a good and safe place to live in spite of the highly vocal but minority hate speech that erupts in anonymous forums.

    Incidentally, WNC was the first area of the state to voluntarily integrate schools racially long before court-ordered desegregation (Macon County was the first); and WNC has had much less immigration and migrant conflict than have other regions.

    WNC, because of its heritage and tradition of inclusion and non-confrontation, even tolerates insult and hate speech with a high level of grace, the downside being that WNC is always at risk of becoming a haven for white supremacist and other terrorist nut-job groups, as well as wannabe anarchists, lone-wolf dysfunctionals, greedy capitalists, corrupt politicians, and assorted religious cults.

    And yes, Asheville is the heart of Western North Carolina, the standard that regulates the heartbeat of the region.

  8. In very recent history a whole nation participated while a certain group was designated as undesirable and made it their business to exterminate them…If one group can be exterminated based on hate, ANY group can be exterminated based on any number of whims.

  9. bill smith

    [b]where lefties run the mirror image of the AC-T Forums…only it is a ghost town.[/b]

    It must be hard viewing the entire world through a lens of polar opposites. To compare Topix to the Xpress Forums is the height of absurdity. Kind of like those people who excuse FOX’s transgressions by sighting MSNBC’s.

    [b]Why is MountainX reporting on a story in the Citizen-Times? [/b]

    Because the Xpress doesnt really report NEWS per se. But great pics of nice scarves!

  10. bill smith

    [i]Seriously, are you sure you’re a conservative? [/i]

    Aint it funny how Social Conservatives are never [i]actual[/i] Conservatives?

  11. Jessica B.

    Thunderpig says: “Now, that’s a typical Lefty position on Free Speech:

    “Free Speech for Me, But Not for Thee”.

    Even offensive speech is protected, like what happens at the MX Forums, where lefties run the mirror image of the AC-T Forums…only it is a ghost town.

    And you people still want to maintain that Asheville is the heart of western North Carolina? ”

    Sockpuppetry is mockery of free speech Mr. Coggins, and is common among those who are too cowardly to take responsibility for their own words. I don’t have a problem with the “offensiveness” of their posts. I’d prefer for people’s bigotry and hate to be out in the open for all to see. I’d just prefer that have to own up to their words and not be able to hide behind multiple screen names.

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