The demographics of sexual orientation and gender identity in the United States have been studied in the social sciences in recent decades. A 2025 Gallup poll concluded that 9.3% of adult Americans identified as LGBTQ+. A different survey in 2025, from the Williams Institute, estimated that 0.8% of U.S. adults identify as transgender. As of 2025, estimates for the total percentage of U.S. adults that are transgender or nonbinary range from 0.8% to 1.1%. Additionally, a Pew Research survey from 2022 found that approximately 5% of young adults in the U.S. say their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth.

Studies from several nations, including the U.S., conducted at varying time periods, have produced a statistical range of 1.2 to 6.8 percent of the adult population identifying as LGBTQ. Online surveys tend to yield higher figures than other methods, a likely result of the higher degree of anonymity of Internet surveys, and demographic of those utilizing online platforms which elicit reduced levels of socially desirable responding.

State-by-state summary Pop.rank %rank State or territory 2015–2016 LGBTQadult percentageestimate 2012 statetotal populationestimateNumbers are from List of U.S. states and territories by population. 2012 LGBTQadult populationestimate 2000same-sex couplehouseholds 2010same-sex couplehouseholds 2000 to 2010couple householdsgrowth2016 transgender adult percentage estimate 1 4 4.9% 38,041,430 1,338,164 92,138 98,153 6.53%0.76% 2 26 3.6% 26,084,481 579,968 42,912 46,401 8.13%0.66% 3 10 4.5% 19,570,261 570,388 46,490 48,932 4.05%0.51% 4 13 4.2% 19,317,568 513,849 41,048 48,496 18.15%0.66% 5 20 3.9% 12,875,255 362,048 22,887 23,049 0.07%0.51% 6 27 3.6% 12,763,536 262,308 21,166 22,336 5.50%0.44% 7 24 3.8% 11,544,225 315,592 18,937 19,684 3.95%0.45% 8 19 4.0% 9,919,945263,870 19,288 21,318 10.52%0.75% 9 23 3.8% 9,883,360 285,431 15,368 14,598 -5.0%0.43% 10 32 3.5% 9,752,073 244,582 16,198 18,309 11.36%0.60% 11 28 3.6% 8,864,590 249,273 16,604 16,875 1.60%0.44% 12 34 3.4% 8,185,867 180,416 13,802 14,243 3.20%0.55% 13 9 4.6% 6,897,012 209,670 15,900 19,003 19.51%0.62% 14 3 4.9% 6,646,144 247,247 17,099 20,256 18.46%0.57% 15 17 4.0% 6,553,255 194,238 12,332 15,817 28.25%0.62% 16 15 4.1% 6,537,334 183,829 10,219 11,074 8.37%0.56% 17 42 3.1% 6,456,243 127,526 10,189 10,898 6.95%0.63% 18 36 3.4% 6,021,988 151,032 9,428 10,557 10.70%0.54% 19 21 3.9% 5,884,563 147,584 11,243 12,538 11.52%0.49% 20 35 3.4% 5,726,398 121,858 8,232 9,179 10.32%0.43% 21 18 4.0% 5,379,139 118,556 9,147 10,207 11.60%0.59% 22 12 4.3% 5,187,582 126,162 10,045 12,424 23.70%0.53% 23 45 3.0% 4,822,023 102,613 8,109 6,582 -18.80%0.61% 24 48 3.0% 4,723,723 104,111 7,609 7,214 5.20%0.58% 25 25 3.7% 4,601,893 111,918 8,808 8,076 -8.31%0.60% 26 39 3.3% 4,380,415 129,836 7,114 7,195 1.13%0.53% 27 5 4.9% 3,899,353 145,212 8,932 11,773 31.80%0.65% 28 31 3.5% 3,814,820 98,575 5,763 6,134 6.44%0.64% 29 33 3.5% 3,590,347 92,775 7,386 7,852 6.30%0.44% 30 40 3.2% 3,074,186 65,419 3,698 4,093 10.70%0.31% 31 41 3.2% 2,984,926 58,982 4,774 3,484 -27.00%0.61% 32 46 3.0% 2,949,131 78,441 4,423 4,226 -4.45%0.60% 33 43 3.1% 2,885,905 81,152 3,973 4,009 0.09%0.43% 34 38 3.3% 2,855,287 58,591 3,360 5,814 73.03%0.36% 35 6 4.8% 2,758,931 88,065 4,973 7,140 43.60%0.61% 36 14 4.2% 2,085,538 45,965 4,496 5,825 25.56%0.75% 37 29 3.6% 1,855,525 38,075 2,332 2,3560.01%0.39% 38 37 3.4% 1,855,413 43,713 2,916 2,848 -2.33%0.42% 39 49 2.8% 1,595,728 32,744 1,873 2,042 9.02%0.41% 40 22 3.8% 1,392,313 53,966 2,389 3,239 35.45%0.78% 41 11 4.5% 1,329,192 48,489 3,394 3,958 16.61%0.50% 42 8 4.6% 1,320,718 31,138 2,703 3,260 20.60%0.43% 43 16 4.0% 1,050,292 35,920 2,471 2,785 12.71%0.51% 44 47 3.0% 1,005,141 19,862 1,218 1,848 10.70%0.34% 45 7 4.7% 917,092 23,698 1,868 2,646 41.65%0.64% 46 51 2.0% 833,354 27,867 826 714 -13.36%0.34% 47 44 3.0% 731,449 24,869 1,180 1,228 4.06%0.49% 48 50 2.7% 699,628 9,040 703 559 -20.50%0.30% 49 1 8.6% 632,323 63,232 3,678 4,822 31.10%2.77% 50 2 5.3% 626,011 23,313 1,933 2,143 10.61%0.59% 51 30 3.5% 576,412 16,716 807 657 -18.60%0.32% — — Total 3.8% Total population: 313,914,039 Adult population: 238,574,670(76% of total population; 2010 US Census) 9,083,558 594,391 646,464 8.76%0.58%

By locality

The American cities with the highest gay populations are New York City with 272,493, Los Angeles with 154,270, Chicago with 114,449, and San Francisco with 94,234, as estimated by the Williams Institute in 2006. However, gay residents are much more likely to be encountered in San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Boston because a higher percentage of those cities' residents are gay or lesbian.

The U.S. metropolitan areas with the most gay residents are the New York metro with 568,903; followed by Los Angeles metro with 442,211; and the Chicago metro with 288,748.

The charts list the top U.S. cities (in alphabetical order), metropolitan areas, and states with the highest population of gay residents and the highest percentage of gay residents (GLB population as a percentage of total residents based on available census data).Gary J. Gates  . The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law October, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2007. The numbers given are estimates based on American Community Survey data for the year 2006.

By city

%Rank City 2005LGBTpercentageestimate 2005LGBTpopulationestimate1 San Francisco15.4%94,2342Seattle12.9%57,9933 Atlanta12.8%39,8054 Minneapolis12.5%34,2955 Boston12.3%50,4506Sacramento9.8%32,1087Portland, OR8.8%35,4138Denver8.2%33,6989Washington, D.C.8.1%32,59910Orlando7.7%12,50811Salt Lake City7.6%10,72613Baltimore6.9%30,77914 Hartford6.8%5,29215Rochester6.8%9,37116San Diego 6.8% 61,94517St. Louis6.8%16,86818Columbus6.7%34,95219Kansas City6.7%22,36020 Phoenix 6.4% 63,22221 Tampa6.1%14,11922 San Jose5.8%37,26023 Chicago 5.7% 114,44924 Birmingham5.6%9,26325 Los Angeles 5.6% 154,27026 Miami5.5%15,22727Nashville-Davidson5.1%20,31328New Orleans5.1%16,55429Austin4.8%24,61530Indianapolis4.8%26,71231Providence4.8%5,56432Las Vegas4.6%17,92533Milwaukee4.6%18,24334 New York City4.5%272,49335 Houston 4.4% 61,976

By metropolitan area Metropolitan Area 2005% LGB Est. 2005LGB Pop. Est. 2012–2014 % LGBTQ Est. 2021 % LGBTQ Est. 2021 LGBTQ Pop. Est.2005-2021Change in LGBTQ Pop. Est.San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA MSA 8.2% 256,313 6.2% 6.7% 247,000 -9,313 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA6.1%94,0275.4% 6.0% 112,000 17,973 Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX MSA5.9%61,7325.3%5.9% 90,000 28,268 Seattle-Tacoma, WA CSA 6.5% 154,835 4.8% 5.2% 152,000 -2,835 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSA4.8%442,2114.6% 5.1% 523,000 80,789 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA3.9%48,5324.3% 5.1% 82,000 33,468 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA5.7%81,2724.1% 5.0% 93,000 11,728 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA 6.2% 201,3444.8% 4.9% 186,000 -15,344 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA5.8%99,0274.6%4.8%103,000 3,973 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA 5.9% 119,0444.1% 4.8% 113,000 -6,044 Tucson, AZ MSA4.7%37,000N/ANew Orleans-Metairie, LA MSA3.7%35,2305.1%4.7%46,00010,770 Salt Lake City, UT MSA3.7%26,7614.7%4.7%39,00012,239 Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT MSA5.6%49,0004.6%4.6%44,000 -5,000 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA MSA5.1%180,1684.2%4.6%194,00013,832 Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN MSA4.5%52,9634.2%4.5%68,00015,037 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA4.9%102,0163.9%4.5%115,00012,984 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA5.0%191,9594.0%4.5%209,00017,041 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA4.5%183,3464.2%4.5%214,00030,654 Worcester, MA-CT MSA4.5%33,000N/ANew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA MSA4.1%568,9034.0%4.5%706,000137,097 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA3.6%43,4174.4%4.5%58,00014,583 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA MSA5.5%81,7593.9%4.4%77,000 -4,759 Albuquerque, NM MSA4.4%31,000N/AColumbus, OH MSA5.5%68,3004.3%4.4%67,000 -1,300 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA3.5%46,1884.0%4.4%78,00031,812 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA4.8%132,9604.1%4.3%146,00013,040 Rochester, NY MSA4.3%37,000N/AJacksonville, FL MSA4.0%36,4224.3%4.2%47,00010,578 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA4.2%17,1024.5%4.2%42,00024,898 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA5.7%130,4723.6%4.2%112,000 -18,472 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA4.2%179,4593.9%4.2%198,00018,541 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI MSA4.3%288,7483.8%4.1%298,0009,252 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA5.2%100,0323.9%4.1%89,000 -11,032 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA3.3%28,1933.9%4.1%37,0008,807 Tulsa, OK MSA4.1%30,000N/ARichmond, VA MSA3.4%28,7503.5%4.1%40,00011,250 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA 3.9% 44,6894.4%4.1%55,00010,311 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA4.9%131,5554.0%4.0%133,0001,445 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA4.0%28,000N/ACharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA3.3%36,4643.8%4.0%74,00037,536 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA4.5%183,7183.8%4.0%211,00027,282 Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI MSA3.0%98,4023.9%3.8%131,00032,598 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA5.0%63,9413.2%3.8%58,000 -5,941 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA5.1%72,0803.6%3.8%60,000 -12,080 Cleveland-Elyria, OH MSA4.3%66,9433.7%3.8%62,000 -4,943 Oklahoma City, OK MSA3.3%28,2883.5%3.8%39,00010,712 St. Louis, MO-IL MSA4.1%83,7693.6%3.7%79,000 -4,769 Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN MSA3.8%57,0273.5%3.7%52,000 -5,027 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA3.8%57,0273.2%3.6%60,0002,973 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX MSA4.1%152,2883.3%3.5%169,00016,712 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA3.7%40,4073.5%3.5%42,0001,593 Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA MSA3.4%23,000N/ARaleigh-Cary, NC MSA3.2%3.3%32,000N/APittsburgh, PA MSA2.8%50,9943.0%3.3%63,00012,006

Statistics by year

1990s 1990

"Homosexuality/Heterosexuality: Concepts of Sexual Orientation" published findings of 13.95% of males and 4.25% of females having had either "extensive" or "more than incidental" homosexual experience.McWhirter, David P., Sanders, Stephanie A., & Reinisch, June Machover (eds.). (1990). Homosexuality/Heterosexuality: Concepts of Sexual Orientation. The Kinsey Institute Series. New York: Oxford University Press. An extensive study on sexuality in general was conducted in the United States. A significant portion of the study was geared towards homosexuality. The results found that 8.6% of women and 10.1% of men had at one point in their life experienced some form of homosexuality. Of this group, 87% of women and 76% of men reported existing same-sex attractions, 41% of women and 52% of men had sex with someone of the same gender, and 16% of women and 27% of men identified as LGBT.

The American National Health Interview Survey (1990–1992) conducts household interviews of the civilian non-institutionalized population. The results of three of these surveys, done in 1990–91 and based on over 9,000 responses each time, found between 2% and 3% of the people responding said yes to a set of statements which included "You are a man who has had sex with another man at some time since 1977, even one time."Dawson, D. & Hardy, A.M. (1990–1992). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Advance Data, 204, 1990–1992.

1992

The National Health and Social Life Survey asked 3,432 respondents whether they had any homosexual experience. The findings were 1.3% for women within the past year, and 4.1% since 18 years; for men, 2.7% within the past year, and 4.9% since 18 years.

1993

The Alan Guttmacher Institute survey of sexually active men aged 20–39 found that 2.3% had experienced same-sex sexual activity in the last ten years, and 1.1% reported exclusive homosexual contact during that time.