<p>Policy makers and researchers are interested in the factors driving gentrification, a process often associated with the displacement of lower-income residents by higher-income, more educated households. This study examines one potential factor: the influx of same-sex couples into a community. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is a connection between the presence of same-sex couples and gentrification. We empirically investigate this relationship using both least-squares methods and an instrumental variables strategy. In our instrumental variables approach, we use voting results for the state-level equivalent of the Defense of Marriage Act in Ohio as an instrument for changes in the number of same-sex couples. Our findings consistently demonstrate that areas experiencing a larger increase in same-sex couples are more likely to undergo gentrification. Furthermore, semiparametric analysis reveals a tipping point beyond which gentrification becomes significantly more likely, suggesting that the clustering of same-sex couples contributes to neighborhood change.</p>