Marriage Equality in Cook County • 2013 – 2019

Demographics

Number of Marriage Licenses Issued to Same-Sex Couples (as of 11/15/2019): 14,860

Average number per month (Jan. – Oct.) in 2019: 114
Male couples: 52.3%
Female couples: 47.7%

Average age of same-sex newlyweds

2014 – 2016: 40 years old
2017 – 2019: 37 years old

Average Age from 2014 - 2019

42

39.7

37.8
37.3
36.9 36.7

2014* 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

*Includes the four couples married in November and December, 2013

Couples from outside Illinois

2014 – 30%
2019 – 10%
Cities outside Illinois with the most couples married in Cook County

City Number of Couples

Louisville, KY 62
Indianapolis, IN 60
Milwaukee, WI 54
Columbus, OH 52
Houston, TX 50
Cincinnati, OH 46
Grand Rapids, MI 36
Detroit, MI 33
Kalamazoo, MI 30
Memphis, TN 27

Top Chicago Zip Codes

Zip Code Number of Couples
60640 972
60660 645
60657 574
60613 541
60626 508
60618 322
60625 310
60647 298
60641 183
60608 178

Top Cook County Suburbs

Town Number of Couples
Evanston 245
Oak Park 222
Berwyn 136
Des Plaines 107
Cicero 104
Schaumburg 98
Palatine 91
Skokie 77
Forest Park 68
Streamwood 59
 Chicago Zip Codes With Highest Number of
Same Sex Marriage Licenses Issued 2013-2019

±
Ward 49

60645 60626
(168) (508)
Ward 50

60631 60646
(32) (56)
60659 60660
(106) (645)
Ward 48
Ward 39 Ward 40
Ward 41
() 60656
(34)
60630 60625 60640
(136) (310) (972)
Ward 45

Ward 46
Ward 47
60613
Ward 33
(541)
Ward 38 60634 60641 60618
(118) Ward 36
(183) (322) Ward 44

Ward 30 60657
60707 (574)
(74)
Ward 31
Ward 35

60647 60614
60707 60639
(162)

Marriages By Zip Code

(74) (129) (298) Ward 32
Ward 43

Ward 29

6 - 50
Ward 1 Ward 2
Ward 26
60651 60622 60610
(175) 60642 (117)
Ward 37 (103)
(97)
51 - 100 60611
60654
(98)
(68)
101 - 200 60601
Ward 42

60661 60606 (60)

60644 60624 Ward 27
60612
201 - 300
(34) (22) 60602
(52) (37) (80) 60607 60604
Ward 28 (93) 60603 (17) (6)
(6)

301 - 972 60605

(137)

Chicago Wards
Ward 24

Ward 25

Top 20 Zip Codes

60623 60608
(113) (178) 60616
(129)

Zip Code Number Ward 22

Ward 11

60640 972
Ward 4
Ward 12

60660 645
Ward 3
60653
(71)

60657 574
Ward 14
60632 60609
(112) (96)

60613 541
Ward 15
60615
(111)

60626 508 60638 Ward 23

Ward 5

60618 322
Ward 20
(65)
Ward 16
60637
(100)

60625 310
Ward 13 60629 60636 60621
(159) (41) (35)

60647 298 Ward 17 Ward 6

60649
(97)

60641 183
60608 178
Ward 18
60652
(55) 60619

60622 175
60620 (84)
(72) Ward 8
Ward 7

60645 168
Ward 21

60614 162
60629 159 60617
(78)

60605 137 Ward 19

60630 136
60643
60655
(54)
(12)
60628

60639 129
Ward 34 (70)
Ward 9 Ward 10

60616 129
60634 118
60610 117
60643
(54) 60633
(12)
60827
(26)

Figures based on where couples lived at the time they applied for
marriage licenses with the Cook County Clerk's Office

0 1 2 4 6
Miles

Map Created November 2019

 Municipalities With Highest Number of
Same Sex Marriage Licenses Issued 2013-2019

Buffalo Grove
21

±
Wheeling Northbrook
47 22
Palatine
91

Glenview
Rolling Meadows 32 Wilmette
22 19
Hoffman Estates
54

Evanston
245
Elgin Des Plaines Skokie
Schaumburg
49 107 77
98 Niles
Streamwood 22
59
Park Ridge
Elk Grove Village 23
Hanover Park 36 Lincolnwood
30 15

# of Same Sex
Marriage Licenses
Municipality Issued
Chicago 8,308
Franklin Park
Evanston 245 26
Oak Park 222 Elmwood Park
29
Berwyn 136
Des Plaines 107 Melrose Park
Cicero 104 45

Schaumburg 98 Oak Park

Palatine 91 Maywood 222
30
Skokie 77 Elmhurst
Forest Park Chicago
16 8308
Forest Park 68 68

Streamwood 59 Westchester
Hoffman Estates 54 31 Berwyn Cicero
104
Oak Lawn 54 136

Orland Park 50
Elgin 49
Wheeling 47
Tinley Park 46
Melrose Park 45
Calumet City 43
Lansing 37
Elk Grove Village 36
Chicago Heights 35
Glenview 32
Burbank
Harvey 31 24
Westchester 31
Hanover Park 30 Evergreen Park
Maywood 30 Oak Lawn 23
54
Elmwood Park 29
Franklin Park 26
Park Forest 26
Blue Island 24
Burbank 24
Evergreen Park 23
Blue Island
Homewood 23 24
Park Ridge 23
Matteson 22
Niles 22 Dolton
19
Northbrook 22
Calumet City
Rolling Meadows 22 Orland Park
Oak Forest Harvey 43
50
Buffalo Grove 21 17 31

Dolton 19
Wilmette 19
Oak Forest 17 Tinley Park
Elmhurst 16 46
Lansing
Lincolnwood 15 Homewood
23
37

Figures based on where couples lived at the time they applied for
marriage licenses with the Cook County Clerk's Office

Matteson Chicago Heights

22 35

Park Forest
26

0 2 4 8 12
Miles

Map Created November 2019

 Timeline of
Marriage/LGBT Equality
in Illinois and Cook County

State of Illinois enacts anti-

sodomy statute. Penalties

1819 include one to five years’

imprisonment, $100-$500
fine, and between 100-500
lashes.

Illinois increases

1874
maximum penalty
for sodomy
to 10 years
imprisonment.

1961 Illinois repealed state’s

sodomy laws.

Cook County
passes
Human Rights
Ordinance
1993
Illinois bans same-

1996
sex marriage,
recognition of out-
of-state same-sex
marriages.

Cook County
issues first
Domestic
Partnerships
2003

2011
Cook County begins
issuing Civil Union
licenses

Lambda Legal and the

ACLU filed lawsuits
challenging the refusal

2012
of the Cook County
Clerk’s office to issue
marriage licenses to
same-sex couples.
Clerk’s office did not
fight the lawsuits.

2013
Marriage Equality
bills pass Illinois State
legislature

Illinois Marriage Nov. 20

2013
Equality signed
into law by Gov.
Pat Quinn.

Federal judges in Chicago

rule that same-sex couples
Nov. & Dec. where one partner was

Judge Sharon
2013 terminally ill could get
married without waiting
until June, 2014, when
Coleman rules Marriage Equality would
any same-sex go into effect statewide.
couple could get
a marriage license feb. 21

2014
in Cook County
immediately.
Clerk’s Office
begins issuing
marriage licenses
to same-sex Marriage Equality
couples that day. goes into effect
June 2 statewide. First

2014 day couples can

convert Civil Unions
to marriages in
Cook County.

Supreme Court june 26

passes nationwide
marriage equality. 2015
Cook County Clerk’s
Dec. ??? Office reaches

2019
milestone of 15,000
marriage licenses
issued to same-sex
couples.

Karen A. Yarbrough
cookcountyclerk.com