The Queerest State in America Might Surprise You
A new report from the Human Rights Campaign breaks down where we’re here and queer, in the largest numbers.
Yes, we are here, and yes, we are queer. But where exactly is “here”? A recent study by the Human Rights Campaign dug into the data, and where we congregate in the highest percentages may just surprise you.
The report, LGBTQ+ Adults in the United States: New Population Estimates used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected between 2021 and 2024 to break down the “size and demographic composition of the LGBTQ+ adult population in the United States,” including where they are making their homes and living their lives.
While some of the results were not exactly shocking—yes, California and New York both feature on this list—some smaller states, and even some red states, boast healthy populations of LGBTQ+ folks.
So, where are we? Here are the top 11 states with the highest percentages of LGBTQ+ adults.
11. New York
Coming in at a surprising No. 11 is New York. According to the study, there are about 1.6 million LGBTQ+ residents in the state, making up 13.08% of its population.
10. Arizona
Just edging out New York for the No. 10 gayest state is The Grand Canyon State, which is home to an estimated 620K queer folks who make up 13.34% of its population
9. Nevada
Nevada comes in at a lucky number nine, boasting a population of 273K LGBTQ+ adults, which makes up 13.56% of its population.
8. Vermont
Vermont may be the sixth-smallest state geographically, but it looms large when it comes to its queer population. The Green Mountain State is home to an estimated 61K LGBTQ+ adults, which makes up 13.76% of its population.
7. Massachusetts
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Coming in at number seven is Massachusetts, with 636K people—or 13.91% of its adult population—identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. How you like them apples?
6. California
That California is on the list is hardly surprising; that it’s all the way at number six is a twist. Only an estimated 14.01% of adults in the Golden State identify as LGBTQ+, but the state boasts the largest number of queer folks in the country, with an estimated 3.1 million members of the rainbow family calling California home.
5. Alaska
Who would have guessed that the Last Frontier State was so gay? According to the HRC’s study and estimates, 65K LGBTQ+ people, or 14.13% of Alaska’s population, call America’s northernmost state home.
4. Colorado
The home of the Mile High City can also boast that a healthy portion of its population is queer. As cited in the HRC’s study, 14.38%, or 553K queer folks, are living, laughing, and loving in the Centennial State.
3. Washington
The Evergreen State? More like the evergay state, am I right? Coming in at number three is Washington, with an estimated 836K LGBTQ+ adults, or 16.24% of its adult population. This isn’t a huge surprise, as Seattle has become known as a rapidly growing queer hub. In this same study, the metropolitan area consisting of Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue was ranked number one, with 17.82% of adults identifying as LGBTQ+.
2. Oregon
Many a lesbian and other queer-identifying folks have put down their roots in the Beaver State. While this isn’t in the number one spot technically, it is the queerest of all the states, boasting a very healthy 17.29%, or an estimated 49K LGBTQ+ adults among its populace.
1. District of Columbia
While Washington, D.C., might not be a state—technically, it’s a special federal district of the United States—one thing our nation’s capital is, is gay. Ranking in the top spot and beating out all 50 states, the District of Columbia boasts nearly a quarter of its population is queer. According to the study 103K queer adults, or 22.62% of its adult population, live in the nation’s capital.
