Where LGBTQ Americans Live

America has become a far more open-minded and tolerant nation over the past several decades. But the gay population remains more concentrated in some cities and metros than others, according to a new survey by the Gallup Organization.

Surprising as it may seem, the U.S. Census still does not collect systematic data on the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) population. The Gallup survey asked respondents, “Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?” The poll was designed in collaboration with Gary J. Gates of UCLA’s Williams Institute, who developed the initial estimates of the location of gay Americans back in 1998 (and with whom I collaborated on research exploring the connection between gay populations and the economic and innovative performances of metros in 2001). Based on more than 374,000 telephone interviews conducted between June 2012 and December 2014, the new Gallup survey provides the most comprehensive picture yet of where LGBT Americans live.