When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriages, America generally, and the gay community specifically, celebrated. Same-sex marriages, and the gay and lesbian movement is more mainstream than ever.
While the national discussion has been brought to the forefront, at the state level, conversations continue.
Did you know that an estimated 0.49% of California residents is gay? That ranks as the number 2 most gay state in the nation. That means there are a total of 53,965 gay households in The Golden State.
Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in California.
After analyzing 446 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in California for 2020.
The 10 Gayest Places In California For 2020
- Palm Springs (Photos)
- West Hollywood (Photos)
- Rancho Mirage
- Cathedral City
- Signal Hill (Photos)
- Oroville (Photos)
- Desert Hot Springs (Photos)
- San Francisco (Photos)
- Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Emeryville (Photos)
What’s the gayest place in California? According to the facts, Palm Springs is the gayest place in California for 2020.
For more on how we calculated the top ten, and for more information about these places, read on.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the gayest cities in America.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Gayest Cities In California For 2020
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Palm Springs is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 55mi east of San Bernardino, 107mi east of Los Angeles, 123mi northeast of San Diego, and 268mi west of Phoenix, Arizona. The population was 44,552 as of the 2010 census. Palm Springs covers approximately 94 square miles, making it the largest city in the county by land area.
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West Hollywood, occasionally referred to locally as WeHo, is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2010 census, its population was 34,399. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages in the United States.
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Households: 9,406
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Gay Households: 245 (27th highest)
% Gay Households: 4.68% (3rd highest)
More on Rancho Mirage: Data
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. Located between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the nine cities of the Coachella Valley. Rancho Mirage was incorporated in 1973 from a merger of Mirage Cove with five unincorporated areas known as the “Cove communities”, and had 3,000 permanent residents at the time. Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, died at his home in the city in 2006, and Jane Wyman died one year later at her home in the same city.
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Households: 17,984
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Gay Households: 467 (11th highest)
% Gay Households: 4.42% (4th highest)
More on Cathedral City: Data
Cathedral City is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. Colloquially known as Cat City, the population was 51,200 at the 2010 census. Located between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, it is one of the nine cities of the Coachella Valley in Southern California. Cathedral City has the second largest population in the Coachella Valley, after Indio.
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Signal Hill is a city in California located in the Greater Los Angeles area. Situated on a hill, the city is an enclave completely surrounded by the city of Long Beach. Signal Hill was incorporated on April 22, 1924, roughly three years after oil was discovered there. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,465.
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Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California, United States. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 in the 2000 census. Oroville is considered the gateway to Lake Oroville and Feather River recreational areas. The city of Oroville has recently annexed two locations in South Oroville, areas A and B, which have a combined population of 2,725 people. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 17,996 as of January 1, 2016, up 1,908 people or 11.9 percent since 2010. The Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California is headquartered here.
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Desert Hot Springs, also known as DHS, is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is located within the Coachella Valley geographic region, sometimes referred to as the Desert Empire. The population was 25,938 at the 2010 census, up from 16,582 at the 2000 census. The city has undergone rapid development and high population growth since the 1970s, when there were 2,700 residents.
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Emeryville is a small city located in northwest Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and Silicon Valley has been a catalyst for recent economic growth.
How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in California for 2020
In order to rank the gayest cities in California, we used the 2014-2018 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census. We looked at:
- Percentage of all households that are unmarried, same sex partners
We limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 1,000 households.
We ranked each place from 1 to 446 with the city containing the highest percentage of unmarried, same sex partners households being the most gay.
In the end, ended up being the the most gay place with 9.39% gay households. You can download the data here.
Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in California. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from gayest to straighest.
There You Have It – The Most LGBT Friendly Cities In California For 2020
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in California, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in California:
- Lynwood
- Lafayette
- Los Gatos
For more California reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In California
- Safest Places In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
- Most Expensive Places To Live In California
Detailed List Of The Gayest Places To Live In California
Rank | City | Households |
---|---|---|
1 | Palm Springs | 23,719 |
2 | West Hollywood | 23,538 |
3 | Rancho Mirage | 9,406 |
4 | Cathedral City | 17,984 |
5 | Signal Hill | 4,590 |
6 | Oroville | 6,204 |
7 | Desert Hot Springs | 9,693 |
8 | San Francisco | 359,673 |
9 | Carmel-By-The-Sea | 1,873 |
10 | Emeryville | 6,456 |
11 | La Mirada | 14,331 |
12 | Laguna Beach | 10,542 |
13 | Anderson | 3,964 |
14 | Palm Desert | 24,114 |
15 | Albany | 7,391 |
16 | Oakland | 161,483 |
17 | Indian Wells | 2,759 |
18 | Tiburon | 3,817 |
19 | Sierra Madre | 4,603 |
20 | Long Beach | 166,460 |
21 | Manhattan Beach | 13,520 |
22 | San Pablo | 9,136 |
23 | Selma | 6,756 |
24 | Hayward | 47,768 |
25 | Santa Monica | 45,487 |
26 | San Dimas | 11,479 |
27 | San Diego | 503,463 |
28 | Clayton | 4,200 |
29 | Moraga | 5,909 |
30 | El Cerrito | 9,987 |
31 | Berkeley | 44,978 |
32 | Fowler | 1,925 |
33 | Santa Barbara | 36,699 |
34 | Sebastopol | 3,263 |
35 | Pittsburg | 20,958 |
36 | Los Angeles | 1,373,864 |
37 | Red Bluff | 5,597 |
38 | South San Francisco | 21,083 |
39 | Indio | 31,468 |
40 | Richmond | 37,209 |
41 | Eureka | 11,284 |
42 | Ripon | 5,039 |
43 | Pasadena | 54,394 |
44 | Waterford | 2,451 |
45 | Yountville | 1,368 |
46 | Santa Rosa | 66,629 |
47 | Claremont | 11,711 |
48 | Rio Vista | 4,286 |
49 | Alhambra | 29,427 |
50 | Rohnert Park | 15,969 |
51 | Pacific Grove | 6,835 |
52 | Daly City | 31,620 |
53 | Arcata | 7,311 |
54 | Beverly Hills | 15,000 |
55 | Grover Beach | 5,216 |
56 | Santa Clara | 44,079 |
57 | Shasta Lake | 3,767 |
58 | San Mateo | 38,583 |
59 | Culver City | 16,502 |
60 | West Sacramento | 18,174 |
61 | Rancho Cordova | 25,170 |
62 | Citrus Heights | 33,749 |
63 | Los Altos Hills | 3,053 |
64 | Aliso Viejo | 18,667 |
65 | Costa Mesa | 41,019 |
66 | Paramount | 14,452 |
67 | Modesto | 72,106 |
68 | Burbank | 41,505 |
69 | Visalia | 42,209 |
70 | Cloverdale | 3,144 |
71 | Campbell | 16,510 |
72 | Sacramento | 183,106 |
73 | Wildomar | 10,109 |
74 | San Bruno | 14,810 |
75 | Hercules | 8,098 |
76 | Morro Bay | 4,792 |
77 | Atherton | 2,221 |
78 | Montebello | 19,254 |
79 | Dinuba | 6,073 |
80 | Hawthorne | 29,281 |
81 | Pismo Beach | 4,245 |
82 | Burlingame | 12,029 |
83 | Healdsburg | 4,666 |
84 | San Jose | 321,835 |
85 | Farmersville | 2,760 |
86 | Belmont | 10,328 |
87 | Vallejo | 41,991 |
88 | Redwood City | 30,157 |
89 | Escondido | 46,338 |
90 | Alameda | 30,365 |
91 | Fresno | 166,758 |
92 | Calimesa | 3,325 |
93 | Sonoma | 5,006 |
94 | Exeter | 3,389 |
95 | Truckee | 6,028 |
96 | Redondo Beach | 27,621 |
97 | Orange | 42,969 |
98 | La Mesa | 23,298 |
99 | Big Bear Lake | 2,211 |
100 | Laguna Niguel | 25,360 |