The 10 most and least LGBTQ-friendly cities in the US, according to a new study

Nov 07 2023
Written by Emily Chudy

Woman carries an inclusive Pride flag during San Francisco Pride march in June 2022

These are the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in the United States (Arun Nevader/Getty Images)

San Francisco has, unsurprisingly, been ranked as the most LGBTQ-friendly city in the United States.

A study by real estate website Clever ranked US cities by LGBTQ+ metrics, including queer population, gender-affirming healthcare providers, anti-trans legislation, Pride events, Don’t Say Gay laws and LGBTQ+ venues.

And now they have revealed their top and bottom 10 LGBTQ-friendly cities.

According to Clever, ‘Frisco, in northern California – described as a “welcoming and diverse haven” – was given top spot because of the large number of gay bars, which make it a “vibrant hotspot for LGBTQ+ nightlife and culture”, and inclusive laws.

“San Franciscans are more inclusive than average, with only 12 per cent opposing non-discrimination laws for LGBTQ Americans – 37 per cent lower than the national average,” according to the website.

Second on the list is Hartford, Connecticut, which the study found had the lowest percentage of people who oppose same-sex marriage, while Las Vegas, Nevada, came in third.

California appears in the ranking four times, with Los Angeles, San Diego and state capital Sacramento all ranked in the top 10.

“California is the most LGBTQ-friendly state,” the study said. “In terms of policies, it has a near-perfect equality tally score of 43 out of 43.5, which is attractive to LGBTQ Americans looking to move to more-inclusive states.”

Maybe surprisingly, New York City doesn’t make it on to the list, coming in at number 20, with the study claiming New York State has fewer gender-affirming healthcare providers than average.

The map ranks the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in light blue, and the least LGBTQ-friendly in grey. (Clever)

In the bottom 10 are Memphis, in Tennessee – ranked worst of all – followed by Houston, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida.

The states of Florida, Texas and Missouri all appear more than once in the bottom 10 ranking, in part due to recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Many of the worst-ranked cities are in southern states.

The report did claim that there are “glimmers of hope and resilience” in the cities that made its bottom 10, with Houston home to Pearl Bar, one of the few remaining lesbian bars in the country.

Across the United States, anti-LGBTQ+ laws are increasing, with Human Rights Campaign claiming it is currently opposing more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced in state houses across the country, with 225 of those aiming to restrict the rights of trans people.