Do couples' wages differ based on interracial versus intraracial marriage?

In a study published in Economic Inquiry, investigators have compared wages of Black and white interracially married individuals with those of intraracially married individuals in the United States.

After controlling for other factors that influence wages, the researchers found a wage penalty for white males in interracial marriages and a wage premium for Black males in interracial marriages, compared with their same-sex and race counterparts in intraracial marriages. There were no wage penalties or premiums for white or Black females in interracial marriages.

The study also revealed a larger wage penalty for white males and a smaller premium for Black males in interracial marriages in states that were forced to allow such marriages by the Supreme Court following its 1967 ruling in Loving v. Virginia, suggesting lower acceptance of interracial marriage in those 16 states.

"The study of interracial marriage itself is paramount to understanding race relations in the United States, as marriage and family formation are the most intimate relationships in society. Our findings highlight the incomplete acceptance of interracial marriage in the U.S. despite some progress," said corresponding author Jonathan Fisher, Ph.D., of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.