Pride Across America: 3 in 5 Wish Their Community Was More LGBTQ+ Friendly

LGBTQ+ visibility is reaching new heights every year. Gay culture in the U.S. is undeniable and nationwide. While some feel comfortable being out and proud wherever they are, others are struggling with safety concerns. 

What’s it like to be an LGBTQ+ American in 2024? Do they feel safe in their communities?

We surveyed over 1,000 LGBTQ+ Americans across the nation for their perspectives on where they live as well as analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data to see where the most LGBTQ+ households are across the U.S. 

The majority of LGBTQ+ Americans (64%) surveyed believe it’s important to be out and proud in 2024. More than 3 in 5 (61%) wish their towns/cities were more LGBTQ+ friendly. For those living in rural areas, this desire increases to over 4 in 5. 

Given that 38% of rural LGBTQ+ Americans surveyed have also felt unsafe in their towns relative to the national average of 30%, it would make sense that they wish their towns were more welcoming. 

This also might be why urban LGBTQ+ Americans feel safest: They already have larger LGBTQ+-friendly communities. Over 1 in 4 city dwellers surveyed chose their city because it had a large LGBTQ+ community. About 1 in 5 are planning on moving this year, with most (60%) moving to a city or state known for its large LGBTQ+ community. For 49% of survey respondents, this means moving out of state.

Pride, or a collection of LGBTQ+ events in June that typically involve a parade, is a pivotal part of the LGBTQ+ community, as it has a storied tradition of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. It has also grown into a month-long celebration of queer culture and sees major brands releasing products specifically for Pride month. 

While 79% of those surveyed enjoy seeing brands celebrate Pride, 90% also feel that many companies are “rainbow washing,” or giving lip service to Pride but do little else for the LGBTQ+ community during the rest of the year. 

Just over 3 in 5 LGBTQ+ Americans are planning on celebrating Pride Month this year, and 1 in 3 will be traveling outside their community to do so. Top activities include going to the Pride parade, meeting fellow LGBTQ+ people, and attending parties — though 1 in 5 are also planning on political demonstrations. 

The Top 5 Cities LGBTQ+ Americans Travel to For Pride Celebrations:

1. New York City
2. Atlanta
3. San Francisco
4. Chicago
5. Seattle

We analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data to find the states with the highest population of LGBTQ+ households. These are the top 10 states with the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ households relative to total number of households:

1. Delaware
2. Oregon
3. Vermont
4. Nevada
5. Hawaii
6. Massachusetts
7. California
8. Washington
9. New Mexico
10. Florida

On a national level, the Northeast and the West Coast have the highest concentrations of LGBTQ+ households, while the South and Mountain West have fewer overall households. 

California has the overall most same-sex households in the nation, while Wyoming has the fewest. The top five states with the most gay households include California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois. 

The states with the most lesbian households are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, and Montana have the fewest overall same-sex households in the U.S. 

While there can be safety concerns, 80% of LGBTQ+ Americans say they like where they currently live. Over 2 in 5 respondents live in a place known for having a large queer community, and 42% are active in their local queer community.

Of those surveyed, 14% even go so far as to live in a “Gayborhood,” or neighborhood that has mostly-LGBTQ+ households. Nearly 1 in 5 are also pragmatic: They chose where they currently live for the area’s anti-discrimination laws. 

“This data is both good news and bad news for people of sexual diversity. Seventy percent feel safe in their communities, and 80% of LGBTQ+ respondents say they like living in their neighborhood. However, 3 in 5 want their communities to be more LGBTQ+ friendly. One way to explain this contradiction is this: Feeling like you won’t be subjected to violence or discrimination is one thing. It points to the fact that most Americans are finally tolerant of differences. But there’s a huge difference between feeling tolerated and feeling welcomed. Too many cities and counties in the US do not provide safe spaces, such as Gay bars or other kinds of clubs,” said Dr. Wendy Walsh, clinical psychologist and relationship expert.

“Despite media claims that we are divided by right- and left-leaning politics, the truth is that we are divided by rural versus urban. The needs of rural people are very distinct from the needs of urban people,” she continued. “Of the 21% who say they are planning to move soon, this probably reflects a common migration from small towns toward more welcoming urban communities.”

While it’s not a completely rosy picture for queer Americans, there’s quite a lot of hometown pride to go around. LGBTQ+ people are in every state in the nation, and many are helping grow their communities and make them more LGBTQ+ friendly. Here’s to another Pride month and year of progress for all types of love.

In May 2024, we surveyed 1,000 self-identifying LGBTQ+ Americans about their thoughts on where they lived and Pride month. Of those surveyed, 43% were women, 48% were men, and 9% were nonbinary. Ages ranged from 18-78, with an average age of 36. 

To calculate same-sex household numbers, we used the 2020 U.S. Census Dataset addressing household characteristics.

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