Census Overview
Historically, sexual orientation and gender identity (beyond birth sex) have not been documented by the U.S. Census in any products beyond reporting on same-sex couples residing in the same household, which began in 1990. In 2021, the U.S. Census began including questions of sexual orientation and gender identity on the Household Pulse Survey (HPS, a survey begun in 2020 to monitor the effects of COVID-19). According to the most recent HPS (collected in September 2024), 8.3% of the population aged 18 or older identified as LGBT, with 2.9% identifying as gay or lesbian, 4.9% bisexual, 3.6% as an orientation not listed, and 0.7% transgender.
