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 0.35% of Illinois residents is gay? That ranks as the number 14 most gay state in the nation. That means there are a total of 14,867 gay households in The Prairie State.
Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in Illinois.
After analyzing 438 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in Illinois for 2020.
The 10 Gayest Places In Illinois For 2020
- Coal Valley
- Monticello (Photos)
- West Dundee (Photos)
- Cahokia (Photos)
- Lebanon (Photos)
- Dupo
- Creve Coeur
- Worth
- Cortland
- Benton (Photos)
What’s the gayest place in Illinois? According to the facts, Coal Valley is the gayest place in Illinois 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 Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
The 10 Gayest Cities In Illinois For 2020
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Households: 1,560
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 3)
Gay Households: 29 (74th highest)
% Gay Households: 3.72% (1st highest)
More on Coal Valley: Data
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Monticello is a city in Piatt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,138 at the 2000 census, and 5,374 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Piatt County.
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West Dundee is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,331 as of the 2010 US Census. It is considered a far west Chicago suburb.
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Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is part of Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the village had a population of 15,241, a decline from 16,391 in 2000. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region. It was founded as a French Canadian mission in 1696.
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Households: 1,621
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Gay Households: 17 (116th highest)
% Gay Households: 2.1% (6th highest)
More on Dupo: Data
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Households: 2,146
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 7)
Gay Households: 22 (90th highest)
% Gay Households: 2.05% (7th highest)
More on Creve Coeur: Data
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Households: 3,999
Rank Last Year: 53 (Up 45)
Gay Households: 41 (55th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.75% (8th highest)
More on Worth: Data
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Households: 1,342
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 8)
Gay Households: 11 (155th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.64% (9th highest)
More on Cortland: Data
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Benton is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,087 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County.
How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in Illinois for 2020
In order to rank the gayest cities in Illinois, 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 438 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 3.72% gay households. You can download the data here.
Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in Illinois. 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 Illinois For 2020
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in Illinois, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in Illinois:
- Zion
- La Grange Park
- Harwood Heights
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Illinois
Detailed List Of The Gayest Places To Live In Illinois
| Rank | City | Households |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal Valley | 1,560 |
| 2 | Monticello | 2,425 |
| 3 | West Dundee | 3,156 |
| 4 | Cahokia | 4,910 |
| 5 | Lebanon | 1,656 |
| 6 | Dupo | 1,621 |
| 7 | Creve Coeur | 2,146 |
| 8 | Worth | 3,999 |
| 9 | Cortland | 1,342 |
| 10 | Benton | 2,873 |
| 11 | Shiloh | 5,149 |
| 12 | Yorkville | 6,175 |
| 13 | Westchester | 6,557 |
| 14 | Casey | 1,189 |
| 15 | Swansea | 5,579 |
| 16 | Crystal Lake | 14,701 |
| 17 | Round Lake | 5,747 |
| 18 | Troy | 3,874 |
| 19 | Palos Heights | 4,710 |
| 20 | Calumet City | 13,769 |
| 21 | Carpentersville | 10,824 |
| 22 | Oswego | 11,114 |
| 23 | Godfrey | 7,362 |
| 24 | Crestwood | 4,988 |
| 25 | Sparta | 1,978 |
| 26 | Eldorado | 1,812 |
| 27 | Maryville | 3,455 |
| 28 | Chicago | 1,056,118 |
| 29 | Oak Park | 21,684 |
| 30 | Sleepy Hollow | 1,218 |
| 31 | Riverside | 3,190 |
| 32 | Alton | 11,492 |
| 33 | Savoy | 3,523 |
| 34 | Park City | 2,274 |
| 35 | University Park | 2,584 |
| 36 | Evanston | 28,524 |
| 37 | Belvidere | 8,992 |
| 38 | Berwyn | 18,225 |
| 39 | West Frankfort | 3,391 |
| 40 | Heyworth | 1,153 |
| 41 | Quincy | 17,308 |
| 42 | Carol Stream | 14,119 |
| 43 | Midlothian | 5,385 |
| 44 | Dolton | 7,690 |
| 45 | Lindenhurst | 5,145 |
| 46 | Winthrop Harbor | 2,610 |
| 47 | Melrose Park | 7,678 |
| 48 | Washington | 6,530 |
| 49 | Peoria | 46,280 |
| 50 | Henry | 1,040 |
| 51 | Bloomingdale | 8,581 |
| 52 | Moline | 18,254 |
| 53 | St. Charles | 12,708 |
| 54 | Forest Park | 7,115 |
| 55 | Vernon Hills | 9,752 |
| 56 | Niles | 10,966 |
| 57 | Alsip | 7,213 |
| 58 | Macomb | 6,128 |
| 59 | Lincolnwood | 4,260 |
| 60 | Grayslake | 7,940 |
| 61 | North Chicago | 7,219 |
| 62 | Cicero | 22,226 |
| 63 | Antioch | 5,035 |
| 64 | Champaign | 34,463 |
| 65 | Streamwood | 13,193 |
| 66 | Crete | 3,063 |
| 67 | Bolingbrook | 22,483 |
| 68 | Lincolnshire | 3,097 |
| 69 | Kewanee | 5,006 |
| 70 | Markham | 4,174 |
| 71 | Edwardsville | 8,554 |
| 72 | Rantoul | 5,088 |
| 73 | Rock Island | 15,412 |
| 74 | Mundelein | 10,842 |
| 75 | Skokie | 22,446 |
| 76 | Herrin | 5,241 |
| 77 | Island Lake | 3,149 |
| 78 | Springfield | 50,890 |
| 79 | Orland Park | 22,307 |
| 80 | Paris | 3,722 |
| 81 | Oak Lawn | 21,415 |
| 82 | Dekalb | 15,015 |
| 83 | Rockford | 59,403 |
| 84 | Lisle | 9,857 |
| 85 | Hickory Hills | 4,957 |
| 86 | Pekin | 13,892 |
| 87 | Wheeling | 14,019 |
| 88 | Fairview Heights | 6,957 |
| 89 | Glenview | 17,482 |
| 90 | Homewood | 7,604 |
| 91 | La Grange | 5,306 |
| 92 | Downers Grove | 20,268 |
| 93 | Shorewood | 5,816 |
| 94 | South Holland | 7,219 |
| 95 | Villa Park | 8,101 |
| 96 | Des Plaines | 22,036 |
| 97 | Elgin | 36,682 |
| 98 | Maywood | 7,690 |
| 99 | Decatur | 31,062 |
| 100 | Bloomington | 31,952 |
