If you ask a gay or lesbian Realtor about LGBT friendly cities, you’ll probably expect to hear names like San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City. However, there are a number of surprisingly LGBT friendly cities out there that people don’t often think of. We’ve listed some of these before, but here are a few more cities you might consider moving to if you’re looking for places that are both welcoming and not as expensive as New York or California.
Chattanooga
Most people assume that because Tennessee is considered a southern state that it’s fairly conservative. However, that’s not true of the entire state. In fact, Chattanooga is actually a very welcoming city that many LGBT people call home. It has the country’s highest percentage of LGBT politicians to city residents, for one thing. Because of this, it’s only the second city in the state to provide domestic partner benefits to city employees. The LGBT population of Chattanooga continues to grow at a good rate.
Arlington
While Washington, D.C. is quite popular among LGBT people, it’s also fairly expensive. Fortunately, Arlington isn’t that far away, but it’s just as welcoming and isn’t nearly as expensive. The city has an LGBT rodeo association, several elected out officials, and a number of gay and lesbian-owned businesses. All of this led Arlington to a spot on the 2014 Gayest Cities in America list published by The Advocate.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is more than just a great tourist destination. The city is very welcoming to LGBT people who decide to settle there permanently. The strip isn’t representative of the city—it’s not all partying, gambling, and staying up all night. Once you get away from that area, the city is actually fairly quiet, and real estate is fairly cheap. According to a poll done in 2014, 4.3 percent of all Las Vegas residents identify as a part of the LGBT community, giving the city the 14th largest LGBT population in the U.S.
Worcester
When people think of gay-friendly cities in Massachusetts, they think of Boston. However, Worcester is also a great place for LGBT people. The city is located not too far from Boston, but it’s a lot cheaper. It’s got that small town feel to it while still being a large city. It actually ranks above Las Vegas in terms of LGBT population, with 4.4 percent of residents identifying as LGBT. Worcester is something of a college town, which means the population does cater to younger generations, but that doesn’t mean it’s not welcoming to older LGBT people.