Same-sex couples
/v1/lga/{lga_name}/area-stats/same-sex-couples5¢ per callHow many couple families are same-sex couples, and what share of couples that is: male and female couples, and those raising children, for every sizeable suburb and council area.
Coverage: About 5,300 suburbs and localities and 512 council areas across Australia, in all states and territories (areas with fewer than 100 couple families are left out); one snapshot at 10 August 2021. Current to 2021-08-10. Full description, field list and method: /v1/datasets/same-sex-couples.
Authorization
Request
The only values you send. Fields under Responses below are what comes back — you never pass those.
Path parameters
lga_namestringrequiredCouncil (LGA) name exactly as /v1/lga/list returns it, e.g. `Lake Macquarie`.
Query parameters
fieldsstringoptionalComma-separated subset of: couple_families_total, same_sex_couples_count, same_sex_couples_pct, male_same_sex_couples_count, male_same_sex_couples_pct, female_same_sex_couples_count, female_same_sex_couples_pct, same_sex_couples_with_children_count, same_sex_couples_with_children_pct, male_same_sex_couples_with_children_count, female_same_sex_couples_with_children_count. Omit for all.
fromstringoptionalFirst period to include: 2020, 2020-Q3, 2020-07 or 2020-07-01.
tostringoptionalLast period to include, same formats as `from`.
Responses
Successful Response
datasetstringalways returnedDataset slug; describe it with /v1/datasets/{slug}.
levelstringalways returnedsuburb, lga or block.
areastringalways returnedCanonical name (or mesh-block code) of the area answered.
period_typestringalways returnedsnapshot, year, financial_year, quarter or month.
as_ofstring · datealways returnedDate the dataset is current to. Values are never withheld for age; check this instead.
modelledbooleanalways returnedTrue when the figures are estimates from a model rather than counts or measurements.
fieldsarray of DatasetFieldSeriesalways returned/v1/lga/{lga_name}/area-stats/same-sex-couplescurl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.microburbs.com.au/v1/lga/Lake%20Macquarie/area-stats/same-sex-couples' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer test'{
"data": {
"dataset": "same-sex-couples",
"level": "lga",
"area": "Waverley",
"period_type": "snapshot",
"as_of": "2021-08-10",
"modelled": false,
"fields": [
{
"field": "couple_families_total",
"name": "Couple families",
"unit": "families",
"values": [
{
"period": "2021-08-10",
"period_start": "2021-08-10",
"value": 14601
}
]
},
{
"field": "same_sex_couples_count",
"name": "Same-sex couples",
"unit": "families",
"values": [
{
"period": "2021-08-10",
"period_start": "2021-08-10",
"value": 306
}
]
},
{
"field": "same_sex_couples_pct",
"name": "Same-sex couples: share of couple families",
"unit": "%",
"values": [
{
"period": "2021-08-10",
"period_start": "2021-08-10",
"value": 2.1
}
]
}
]
}
}About this dataset
About 5,300 suburbs and localities and 512 council areas across Australia, in all states and territories (areas with fewer than 100 couple families are left out); one snapshot at 10 August 2021. Current to 2021-08-10; refreshed five-yearly.
What it is
The number of same-sex couple families in each suburb and council area on 10 August 2021, set against all couple families in the area. Fields give the total number of couple families, then same-sex couples overall, male couples and female couples, each as a head-count and as a share of couple families. A further set counts same-sex couples who have children living with them.
What it shows
Couple families (couples with and without children, same-sex and opposite-sex) and the same-sex couples among them. Counts and shares are separate fields (for example same_sex_couples_count and same_sex_couples_pct). Shares are of couple families, so one-parent and other family types are not in the base. The share of same-sex couples who have children is given only where the area has at least 20 same-sex couples.
Why use it
Where same-sex couples live is a clear signal of an area's social character and of local demand. Use it to find the suburbs with the highest concentration of gay and lesbian couples, to place a venue, service, clinic, community group or campaign, to target housing and lifestyle marketing, to compare a suburb with its council area and the national rate (about 1.4% of couples), or to add an inclusive-community measure to a suburb report. Australia-wide there are about 78,000 same-sex couples; Inner Sydney has the highest shares in the country.
How it is built
Each area's figures are counts of family records from our 2021 household and family data, gathered for every suburb and every council area. A couple family is two partners living together, with or without children. We sum the male and female same-sex categories to get same-sex couples and divide by all couple families for the shares. Every small number in the source is randomly adjusted for privacy, so a count of 0, 3 or 6 can be approximate, and shares in small suburbs jump around: read the couple_families_total field before trusting a percentage. Suburbs and council areas with fewer than 100 couple families are left out. Families are counted where they were on 10 August 2021, which can differ slightly from where they usually live, most visibly in holiday and tourist areas. The data is a snapshot: it does not change until the next five-yearly update.
Fields
| Field | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
couple_families_totalCouple families | families | All couple families (couples with and without children, same-sex and opposite-sex) counted in the area on 10 August 2021. The base for the shares in this dataset. Areas with fewer than 100 couple families are left out. |
same_sex_couples_countSame-sex couples | families | Couple families where both partners are the same sex (male and female couples together), 10 August 2021. Small counts are lightly randomised for privacy, so tiny numbers can read 0 or 3. |
same_sex_couples_pctSame-sex couples: share of couple families | % | Same-sex couples as a percent of all couple families in the area. Australia-wide the figure is about 1.4%. |
male_same_sex_couples_countMale same-sex couples | families | Couple families made up of two men. Small counts are lightly randomised for privacy, so tiny numbers can read 0 or 3. |
male_same_sex_couples_pctMale same-sex couples: share of couple families | % | Male same-sex couples as a percent of all couple families in the area. |
female_same_sex_couples_countFemale same-sex couples | families | Couple families made up of two women. Small counts are lightly randomised for privacy, so tiny numbers can read 0 or 3. |
female_same_sex_couples_pctFemale same-sex couples: share of couple families | % | Female same-sex couples as a percent of all couple families in the area. |
same_sex_couples_with_children_countSame-sex couples with children | families | Same-sex couple families with at least one child living with them (any age). Small counts are lightly randomised for privacy, so tiny numbers can read 0 or 3. |
same_sex_couples_with_children_pctSame-sex couples with children: share of same-sex couples | % | Percent of the area's same-sex couples who have children living with them. Only given where the area has at least 20 same-sex couples. |
male_same_sex_couples_with_children_countMale same-sex couples with children | families | Male same-sex couple families with at least one child living with them. Small counts are lightly randomised for privacy, so tiny numbers can read 0 or 3. |
female_same_sex_couples_with_children_countFemale same-sex couples with children | families | Female same-sex couple families with at least one child living with them. Small counts are lightly randomised for privacy, so tiny numbers can read 0 or 3. |