Pride Month means it’s time to celebrate all things that encourage the dignity, equality, and increased recognition of the LGBTQ community. So go ahead and wave that big, beautiful rainbow flag—and, just maybe, zero in on a place to buy a great new home.

It’s also the perfect time to pause and recognize that while the United States has come a long way from the 1969 Stonewall riots, which sparked the modern gay rights movement, 2022 is on track to break the record for the number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in states across the country, with at least 320 highly restrictive bills pending in state legislatures, according to the rights group Freedom for All Americans.

So, as we do each year, Realtor.com® searched for the most LGBTQ-friendly and affordable cities for homebuyers. We looked well past the big coastal cities famous for their thriving gay scenes—and wildly exorbitant home prices—like New York and San Fransisco. Instead, we set our sights on smaller cities that are gay-friendly and budget-friendly, where housing is still modestly priced and the overall community and laws are more welcoming and favorable to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. All of these places have tons of fun things to do—and prices that are still (relatively) within reach.

“The more diverse a community is, the more inclusive it will be,” says Erin Morrison, president-elect of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, a trade organization. “You will also see communities with a lot of amenities being attractive to our community—the arts, sports, outdoor activities, and more.”

Even though same-sex married couples have a higher median household income than opposite-sex married couples ($107,200 vs. $96,930), fewer are homeowners for a variety of reasons, including housing discrimination.

To come up with our list, we looked at the median home list prices in the 100 largest cities across the nation in April. Then we looked at the states with the highest percentage of same-sex couples per 10,000 residents using U.S. Census Bureau data. We also factored in the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Ratings, where the LGBTQ advocacy group assesses equality in cities’ policies, laws, and services, and the statewide number of anti-LGBTQ laws introduced as tracked by Freedom for All Americans. And we made sure each city on our list hosts a Pride parade or festival each year. (We included only one city per state to ensure geographic diversity.)

So what are the real estate scenes like in the new LGBTQ meccas?

1. Worcester, MA

Median home list price: $350,000

The gay community in Worcester, about 40 miles west of Boston, is small but mighty. There is one gay bar, MB Lounge, and plenty of LGBTQ-friendly events like the Drag Brunch, queer dance parties, and a fashion show or two.

The city’s gay community is best known for Worcester Pride, a weeklong grand party thrown by the Queer Coalition of Greater Worcester in early September. The event features live music, pageants, and plenty of afterparties. And, for those who are looking for an even bigger gay scene, both Boston and Providence, RI, are not far away.

The nice thing is, in Worcester, buyers won’t be paying Boston prices when looking for housing. The median list price is about a third of Boston’s $989,000 median price tag. Yet in Worcester, buyers can get this quaint, 100-year-old house with three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a fully fenced backyard for $325,000.

2. Rochester, NY

Median home list price: $140,000

Rochester, tucked between the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes, was once home to civil rights champion Frederick Douglass, as well as women’s rights advocate Susan B. Anthony. So it should come as no surprise that this upstate city proudly holds a reputation of being an LGBTQ ally.

Rochester is home to the third-largest chapter of Out and Equal, which works on workplace equality. It’s also home to the country’s oldest continuously published LGBTQ newspaper, The Empty Closet.

And it’s not just gay history that Rochester is known for. This dynamic city has hosted the weeklong ROC Pride Fest since 1989, and the beloved Rochester Jazz Festival since 2002. Fun!

The Rust Belt city, home to one-time corporate giant Kodak, has long struggled as jobs vanished over the decades. This led to less demand for homes, which resulted in lower prices. And while home prices have risen lately, they’re still way lower than the nation’s median list price of $447,000 in May.

In Rochester, the center of the city’s gay neighborhood runs along the Park Avenue corridor, where buyers can grab this charming two-bedroom, one-bathroom abode located a few blocks off Park Avenue for $180,000.

3. Portland, OR

Median home list price: $550,000

“Portland has a huge queer population, so it isn’t surprising to me that it made the top,” says Rio Palomares, a real estate broker with Living Room Realty in Portland. “Portland has a small-town feel with a big focus on community—not just queer bars, but lots of different social groups. It holds space for lots of different identities.”

There is no shortage of gay bars with something for everyone—from laid-back Crush bar to the Eagle, a leather bar, home to the Oregon Bears. Portland also abounds with LGBTQ-friendly sports and recreation opportunities, including the Varsity Gay League, which organizes activities throughout the year such as kickball, soccer, yoga, strength training, and, yes, the occasional Mario Kart tournament.

Portland may be the most expensive city on our list, but home prices here are still substantially lower than other big cities on the coast—such as Seattle, with a median price tag of $850,000. That might explain why Palomares is working with many queer people looking to move to Portland from out of state.

“My clients have specifically shared with me that they are seeking a more welcoming and overall safer city to express themselves freely. Portland appears to fit the bill,” Palomares says.

4. Sacramento, CA

Median home list price: $515,000

It seems apropos that the main gayborhood in Sacramento is called Lavender Heights.

Located roughly 87 miles from America’s epicenter of gay culture (San Francisco), Sacramento has its own fair share of gay-friendly shops, restaurants, bars, and activities that draw a young and active crowd. It also has a reputation for being safe, fun, and welcoming. And buyers can find a home here for well under half of the price of San Francisco’s $1.29 million median home price tag in May, according to Realtor.com data.

It’s what led Austin Joyce to buy a house here in 2018.

“I fly a pride flag on the house 24/7, and I have neighbors that have stopped to comment that they love it,” he says. “The feeling that you are no different than anyone else around you is a profound feeling.”

Houses are still affordable for the Golden State, especially when considering Sacramento is a short drive to Lake Tahoe, world-class wineries, and plenty of active, outdoor pursuits

It’s the affordability that is now drawing homebuyers from out of state, says Marvin Hooker, a real estate agent with Radius Agent in Sacramento. He’s been working with a couple planning to leave Texas due to the anti-LGBTQ climate in Texas.

For $549,000, homebuyers can get this three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that comes with a backyard swimming pool.

5. Baltimore, MD

Median home list price: $200,000

It’s not surprising that the birthplace of director and queer culture icon John Waters made the list. Water, famous for movies such as “Pink Flamingos,” launched the career of one of the most famous drag queens of all time: Divine. Visitors to Baltimore can check out the three-story mural of Divine located in the Midtown-Belvedere neighborhood.

LGBTQ culture goes way back in Baltimore. The city’s first gay bar, Leon’s, first opened its doors during Prohibition and has attracted the LGBTQ crowd for years. When homosexuality was illegal and the bar hosted many closeted patrons, gay men used to identify one another by asking, “Are you a friend of Dorothy?”

Charm City is not only gay-friendly, but it also happens to be one of the most affordable places on the list. The central hub of the city’s gay scene is in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, but there are other burgeoning communities as well. For just $199,000, homebuyers can pick up this four-bedroom, 2.5-bath stunner in the Charles Village neighborhood.

6. Hartford, CT

Median home list price: $150,000

Following on the heels of its neighbor Massachusetts, Connecticut was the second state in the country to legalize gay marriage. Since then, it has been welcoming members of the LGBTQ community with open arms, especially in the capital city, Hartford.

There’s plenty to do here: Hartford is home to the nation’s oldest public art museum, Wadsworth Atheneum (housed in a very distinctive castlelike structure), and oldest publicly funded park, Bushnell Park (which hosts movie nights, music festivals, and a lovely, vintage 1914 carousel).

And don’t let its nickname fool you. More than just the “Insurance Capital of the World,” Hartford is home to an exciting music, theater, arts, and dining scene, and it’s quite the active gay community. The Hartford nightlife comes alive with dance parties, drag shows, karaoke nights, and theme parties at local bars like Chez Est and Favela Rooftop. The city also holds the OUT Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival each year, presenting the best of films over nine days.

With its proximity to both Boston (1.5 hours) and New York City (2 hours), the location is attractive for those seeking more affordable housing. The median home list price was $1,585,000 in Manhattan and $989,000 in Boston in May, according to Realtor.com data.

For $169,000, buyers can get this charming two-bed, one-bath Colonial built in 1899.

7. Las Vegas, NV

Median home list price: $495,000

Las Vegas is the mecca of excess: gambling, drinking, dining, shopping, and glitz. It’s also home to a dynamic LGBTQ scene. Given Las Vegas’ devil-may-care, progressive attitude, it’s safe to say it’s a city where you can be you. Whoever that is.

Beyond the main drag of megahotels and resorts, there are lovely, normal suburban communities full of residents who take advantage of the beautiful parks, numerous museums, and nearby state and national parks like Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

“Las Vegas has the same thing to offer the LGBTQ community as it does everyone else: a low cost of living, world-class dining, shows, and nightclubs,” says Rich Crithfield, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

Besides the can’t-miss Las Vegas Pride celebration each year in October, there are pool parties, dance parties, gay nights on the Strip, and many gay bars. Most of the clubs are located in an area known (lovingly) as the Fruit Loop.

“Most of my clients moving here from out of state have heard of our growing LGBTQ+ community, which is very attractive to them,” Crithfield says.

Homebuyers can get a lot for their money here, including this four-bed, 2.5-bath home for $410,000. Built in 2019, the 2,100-square-foot house has all the upgrades, including LED lighting, an open floor plan, and granite countertops.

8. Allentown, PA

Median home list price: $250,000

Famous as the location for some of the first resistance to British Colonialism, Allentown also happens to be home to a large, diverse, and welcoming gay community.

Overall, the entire Lehigh Valley has many gay-friendly businesses that help to promote the area’s diversity, says Chris Troxell, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Real Estate in Allentown.

“Our downtown offers LGBTQ activities in many of the restaurants and bars at least twice a month, if not more,” Troxell says

The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center, located in Allentown, produces the Lehigh Valley Pride, which attracts thousands of attendees. Bonus: appearances by drag superstars from “Ru Paul’s Drag Race.”

Troxell, who is also the co-founder of a nonprofit called Out in the Valley, says the Allentown area has so many things to offer the gay community. His group hosts quarterly events at local venues around town in an effort to make everyone “feel welcomed, loved, and have a sense of community.”

He adds that Allentown’s proximity to Philadelphia (with a higher median price tag of $286,250) and New York City, coupled with its extremely affordable housing, makes it a more desirable place to live.

9. Providence, RI

Median home list price: $325,000

Providence might have dropped from the No. 2 spot since last year, but it still has one of the nation’s most vibrant, welcoming, and proud scenes. Though diminutive in size, the lively college town (home to Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design) is home to countless gay bars, a thriving arts scene, and top-rated restaurants. It also has plenty of historical and architectural landmarks with nearly 1,000 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Residents are very proud of their city’s open-minded and welcoming attitude. In fact, Providence is the first U.S. state capital with an openly gay mayor, David Cicilline.

The centerpiece of the city’s annual Pride celebration, which can attract up to 100,000 people, is the famed Illuminated Night Parade featuring floats, performing artists, and marching bands.

All of that, and homebuyers can get their hands on this 1,200-square-foot, three-bed, one-bath charmer in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Providence, listed for $275,000. The home, built in 1930, features all of its original woodwork.

10. Dayton, OH

Median home list price: $95,000

Dayton is one of a handful of Ohio cities that are “leading the way on LGBTQ inclusion in a difficult state,” according to the Human Rights Campaign.

While Ohio doesn’t have statewide, comprehensive laws that prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals, Dayton is among the 35 localities that have enacted protections against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Dayton also offers an energetic and flourishing gay scene with a plethora of clubs and nightclubs, an active LGBTQ-targeted outdoor recreation group, and plenty of arts and cultural events.

Dayton Pride is one of the region’s longest-running and largest LGBTQ events, a three-day celebration. Organizers say this year’s event is more important than ever as the Ohio Legislature considers its own version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as well as a bill that would ban affirming mental and medical care for LGBTQ youth.

While Dayton’s LGBTQ community is located throughout the charming city, one of the more popular neighborhoods is the historic Oregon District, which happens to be listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Here homebuyers can pick up this three-bed, 3.5-bath townhome for $350,000.

The post The 10 Best—and Cheapest—Cities for LGBTQ Homebuyers, 2022 appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.