Arizona Could Profit from Gay Marriage, Study Finds

The report assumes half of Arizona’s nearly 16,000 same-sex couples counted in the 2010 census would get married with three years

Legalizing gay marriage could bring $60 million to Arizona’s economy and support up to 500 jobs around the state, a study by lawyers and economists for UCLA has found.

The report assumes half of Arizona’s nearly 16,000 same-sex couples counted in the 2010 census would get married within three years. It also assumes wedding budgets that are a quarter of the $24,000 average 2012 budget for nuptials in Arizona. The resulting new spending would create greater demand for related jobs and services, much of it in the first year, the report’s authors claim. [efn_note]The Arizona Republic, June 10, 2014, Ronald J. Hansen (JPG, PDF)[/efn_note]