15 Gayest Cities in America Per Capita in 2018

Can you guess which the gayest cities in America per capita in 2018 are, or have you ever wondered what is the gayest city in the United States? Let’s find that out.

Gay population globally is somewhat a constant figure, and although there are no certain percentages, some estimations are that 3-5% of the population is gay. So that is the statistics we should see world widely, and that is of course not the case. But anyway, we should always bear in mind that surveys and researches on this topic are really only an estimate, because of the difficulty of conducting the researches themselves.

When talking about gay population in cities, which is the gayest city in the world per capita? It seems that it is Tel Aviv, a city with the most massive Pride, and also Israel being the top gayest country in the world, as you can see in the 15 Gayest Courtiers in the World Per Capita. But on the matter of the US only, you can read more on 10 Gayest States in America in 2018, and also on the matter of top gayest cities in America 2017, you can check out the Top 10 Gayest Cities in America. And on the matter of other gayest cities in the world (Apart from Tel Aviv), we can mention here Amsterdam, Madrid, London, Berlin, Barcelona, and Toronto. All these cities are very welcoming to LGBT population being highly recommended as the best gay destinations.

Conducting surveys on the matter such as this is hard. First, not all areas would be covered by the same number of the sample taken. Then, not everyone would feel comfortable answering questions about their sexuality. But nevertheless, it seems that Americans are slightly more opened towards this question. The survey conducted by Dalia has shown that around 5.6% of Europeans identify themselves as LGBTQ, where the figure is as much as double in the US, being 12.1%. But that is one of the numerous studies that are trying to get the closest to the real figure on the percentage of the gay population in the US. Research conducted by Gallup shows a quite smaller percentage of 4.1% of Americans identifying as LGBT. The third opinion, by Williams Institute of UCLA, shows an even lower figure of 3.8%. So whichever of these seems the most realistic one; they are all estimates.

For making the list of the gayest cities in America per capita, we have looked for some statistics which are more or less reliable, and at least uniformly conducted (in terms of survey inquiry and population sampling). Thus we have used data provided by Gallup statistics which was also the freshest statistic of that kind on the matter of gay population. We have ranked the cities according to gay population percentage. Now, we have to take in mind that not all sample was the same (concerning the number of people taken into survey). We have also added the number of respondents that represent the percentage of the survey, just so that you could see how unequal the sample of the research was.

The list we made here might look somewhat strange, not having New York or Atlanta on it. That is because, as we have said, we followed our rankings here on the percentage of the gay population from the survey and not the number of individuals identified as gay, as we have noted. If that was the case, New York metropolitan area would definitively take the first place with the number higher than 36,900.  Atlanta did hold the title of the gayest city in America, but even though that is no more the case, it remains one of the gayest black cities in America. Apart from these two, you probably have some idea answering question what is the gayest city in the United States. But we will see that later on.

So, let’s note once again, these are only estimates, since the true figures are hard if not impossible to gain on the matter such as a precise proportion of the gay population. But from what we have now, proceed on our list to find out which the gayest cities in America per capita in 2018 are.

15. Jacksonville, Florida

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.3

Examinee number: 4,427

Same-sex marriage was legalized in Florida only in 2015. And although one of the gayest cities in America per capita, Jacksonville is in this state, the emergence of true gayborhoods are still evolving, but that is making Jacksonville one of the top emerging cities of gay and lesbians.

14. Las Vegas, Nevada

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.3

Examinee number: 3,915

Las Vegas, the home of the never-ending entertainment is also among the top gayest cities in America in 2018. One of the big events is also Las Vegas Pride, which involves numerous events with many hosts and participants.

13. Las Vegas, Massachusetts

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.4

Examinee number: 3,924

There are several gayborhoods in Providence, the first industrialized city in America, such as Federal Hill, West End or Fox point, being one of the gayest cities per capita in America in 2018.

12. Norfolk – Virginia Beach – Hampton, Virginia

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.4

Examinee number: 4,265

The metropolitan area of Norfolk – Virginia Beach – Hampton is one of the gayest cities in America per capita in 2018. Regarding the area, it seems that Norfolk is the most gay-friendly with the gayest bars and places, while Virginia beach seems to be more conservative on the matter of gays.

11. Louisville, Kentucky

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.5

Examinee number: 3,422

Louisville is one of the nicest, most gay-friendly cities of the South. Majority of Louisville gayborhoods are located on the eastern side, in fashionable artistic part of the city.

10. Hartford, Connecticut

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.6

Examinee number: 3,277

Gay marriage was legalized in 2008 in Connecticut, right after Massachusetts and California. So, it does not surprise that one of the gayest cities in America per capita in 2018 is also in this country.

9. Denver, Colorado

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.6

Examinee number: 7,348

Denver’s first Parade celebration was held in 1974 in Cheesman Park, in the form of a picnic, as most of them usually started, followed by the first Pride Parade in the following year. Though there is a large gay community in Denver and whole Colorado, gay marriage was only legalized in 2014.

8. Los Angeles, California

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.6

Examinee number: 21,300

Los Angeles has one of the largest LGBT communities in the country. There are several large gayborhoods in LA, the biggest of them being the City of West Hollywood, followed by Silver Lake.

7. Salt Lake City, Utah

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.7

Examinee number: 3,569

Being one of the gayest cities in America per capita in 2018, it is not a surprise that Salt Lake City is also a great environment for LGBT community. That also adds to the fact that it is a liberal capital in a heavily conservative state.

6. Boston, Massachusetts

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.8

Examinee number: 11,173

Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. Even though Boston is among the gayest cities in America, it seems that a number of gay bars and clubs in this city is shrinking. One reason for that might be a normalization of LGBT population inclusion so that strictly LGBT bars are actually not that needed.

5. Seattle, Washington

Percentage of LGBT population: 4.8

Examinee number: 9,450

Some of the oldest gay bars were opened in Seattle during 1920s and 1930s. Capitol Hill became Seattle’s LGBT neighborhood during the fifties and sixties, as well as a fine art center with Seattle Art Museum and Art Institute opened in that period. Since 1974 there is Gay Pride Week in Seattle, one of the gayest cities in America.

4. New Orleans, Louisiana

Percentage of LGBT population: 5.1

Examinee number: 2,674

We are continuing our list of gayest cities in America per capita in 2018 with New Orleans, which is the home of America’s oldest still existing gay bars, Café Lafitte, which was opened back in 1933. And the first “Gay In” was held in 1971 in the City Park, which later on became the pride, which has become a regular annual event in New Orleans.

3. Austin, Texas

Percentage of LGBT population: 5.3

Examinee number: 4,208

Although being in the middle of a conservative environment that is Texas, being gay in its capital is totally fine and moreover pleasant. The situation is getting better as the time passes for LGBT community in Austin, and in Texas in general, with rising PGBT population which made this city one of the gayest in America.

2. Portland, Oregon

Percentage of LGBT population: 5.4

Examinee number: 6,649

Even being among the top gayest cities in America per capita in 2018, unlike other big gay metropolitan areas such as New York or San Francisco, there is no “gayborhood” in Portland. The answer to this might lie in the fact that Portland had always been more liberal in terms of accepting LGBT community, so there was no need for creating a neighborhood to keep LGBT community together in order to feel at home.

1. San Francisco, California

Percentage of LGBT population: 6.2

Examinee number: 8,961

You have probably expected San Francisco to be the top gayest city in America per capita 2018. One of the first Prides was also held in San Francisco, on June 28^th, 1970, just a day after the march organized by Chicago Gay Liberation. And even some years before, this city has gained the title of the “Gay Capital of America” in 1964 and it remained like that ever since.

This wraps it up for our list of gayest cities in America per capita in 2018.