SeniorAdvice.com Announces Top 20 Cities for LGBTQ-Friendly Retirement in 2019

April 16, 2019

AUSTIN, TX–SeniorAdvice.com one of the nation’s top senior housing referral services, released their annual list of America’s top cities for gay-friendly retirement in 2019. This is the third annual list of best cities for LGBTQ seniors by SeniorAdvice.com and compared to the previous lists, there were many additions as well as several repeats that were identified.

For the 2019 list, SeniorAdvice.com considered multiple factors, including percentage of LGBTQ population in the area, available social activities, festivals, weather, LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce presence, presence of gay-friendly senior communities, quality of healthcare, number of hospitals and pharmacies, local and state legislation protecting the LGBTQ community, cost of living, the city’s score according to the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index, and the city’s SeniorScore™.

SeniorScore™ is the first comprehensive un-biased scoring system specifically designed to identify and measure the livability for seniors, and was created by SeniorAdvice.com. The SeniorScore™ ranking is calculated by compiling and factoring over 100 variables, including access to health care and number of senior residents, to help determine how well a specific location accommodates the comfort and needs of senior citizens.

Multiple cities in Florida made the list, including West Palm Beach, for its numerous LGBTQ groups and services, Ft. Lauderdale, mainly for its high senior population, and Tampa, for its affordable living and beautiful beaches. Arizona and Ohio also had several cities make the list. Tucson has year-round warm weather and many retirement communities, and Tempe established protections for LGBTQ individuals from discrimination at home, work and in public spaces in 2014. Toledo boasts continued efforts to foster and embrace diversity and has low housing prices, and Dayton has a number of community programs and services in the city specifically benefitting its LGBTQ citizens.

Previously, the list of top cities for LGBTQ seniors predominately focused on larger U.S. cities. However, this year there was no limit on the size range of cities included. The 2019 list highlights small, medium, and large-sized cities in the United States. SeniorAdvice.com defined small cities as those having 10,000-50,000 residents, medium-sized cities as those ranging in population size of 50,000-500,000 residents, and large cities as having over 500,000 residents. A total of 6 cities were repeats from last year’s list and 14 cities were new additions.

The following U.S. cities have been named by SeniorAdvice.com as the most accommodating for LGBTQ seniors in 2019:

1. New Orleans, LA
2. West Palm Beach, FL
3. Tucson, AZ
4. Toledo, OH
5. Alexandria, VA
6. Tempe, AZ
7. Ft. Lauderdale, FL
8. Austin, TX
9. Dayton, OH
10. Tampa, FL
11. Pittsburgh, PA
12. Boulder, CO
13. Albuquerque, NM
14. Asheville, NC
15. Eugene, OR
16. Salt Lake City, UT
17. Boise, ID
18. Buffalo, NY
19. Bridgeport, CT
20. Santa Ana, CA

According to recent estimates tracked by Gallup Surveys, the national population identifying as LGBTQ is increasing – among the top 50 metropolitan areas, the LGBTQ population averages 4.5 percent. By 2050, the senior population is expected to double to an astonishing 88 million people aged 65 and older. With these numbers increasing each year, the need to discover locations that are welcoming to LGBTQ seniors also increases. SeniorAdvice.com recognizes that the LGBTQ older adult community is currently a very important part of the American population to consider, and has dedicated much time and energy to supporting this group.

“SeniorAdvice.com has been an invaluable resource for seniors, their family members, and caregivers. We’re also very dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and we wanted to make sure we could assist members of the gay and lesbian community in finding the best locations for retirement and senior housing,” said SeniorAdvice.com CEO and Founder, Ryan Patterson.

SeniorAdvice.com has previously released several rankings highlighting top places for LGBTQ seniors: “Top 20 Cities for LGBT-Friendly Retirement in 2018,” “America’s Best Cities for Gay-Friendly Retirement”, and “The Top Fifteen LGBT-Friendly Senior Living Communities in the U.S.” The company has also released several other articles specifically related to LGBTQ seniors: “LGBT Assisted Living Communities – Finding a Gay-Friendly Facility” and “Transitioning After Retirement: The Struggles and Triumphs of Transgender Seniors.”