When the Supreme Court recently 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 0.6% of Maine residents is gay? That ranks 1 in the nation. That means there are a total of 129,000 gay households in The Pine Tree State.
Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in Maine.
After analyzing 21 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in Maine:
- Belfast (Photos | Jobs)
- Hallowell (Photos | Jobs)
- Portland (Photos | Jobs)
- Bath (Photos | Jobs)
- Presque Isle (Photos | Jobs)
- Brewer (Photos | Jobs)
- Bangor (Photos | Jobs)
- Biddeford (Photos | Jobs)
- Auburn (Photos | Jobs)
- Augusta (Photos | Jobs)
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.For more Maine reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Maine
- 10 Best Places To Live In Maine
- 10 Worst Places To Live In Maine
1. Belfast
Households: 2,762Gay Households: 54
% Gay Households: 1.96%
More on Belfast: Comment | Data | Jobs
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County. The seaport has a wealth of antique architecture in several historic districts, and remains popular with tourists.
2. Hallowell
Households: 1,148Gay Households: 20
% Gay Households: 1.74%
More on Hallowell: Comment | Data | Jobs
3. Portland
Households: 30,211Gay Households: 409
% Gay Households: 1.35%
More on Portland: Comment | Data | Jobs
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 66,937 as of 2016. This makes it the fourth least populous city in the U.S. to be the most populous in its state. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine’s total population. The Old Port district is frequented by tourists, while Portland Head Light is also a destination. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named after Portland, Maine.
4. Bath
Households: 3,901Gay Households: 42
% Gay Households: 1.08%
More on Bath: Comment | Data | Jobs
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,514 at the 2010 census, and 8,357 as of 2013, the population has had a change of -10.2% since 2000. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its 19th-century architecture. It is home to the Bath Iron Works and Heritage Days Festival, held annually on the Fourth of July weekend. It is commonly known as ‘The City of Ships.’ Bath is part of the metropolitan statistical area of Greater Portland.
5. Presque Isle
Households: 3,963Gay Households: 41
% Gay Households: 1.03%
More on Presque Isle: Comment | Data | Jobs
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,171 in 2015 as estimated by the US Census, a decrease from the count of 9,692 in the 2010 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Husson University Presque Isle, Northern Maine Fairgrounds, The Aroostook Centre Mall, and the Northern Maine Regional Airport.
6. Brewer
Households: 3,829Gay Households: 37
% Gay Households: 0.97%
More on Brewer: Comment | Data | Jobs
7. Bangor
Households: 14,035Gay Households: 135
% Gay Households: 0.96%
More on Bangor: Comment | Data | Jobs
Bangor is a city along the Penobscot River in the U.S. state of Maine. The city proper has a population of 33,039, while the Bangor metropolitan area has a population of 153,746. Bangor is known as the ‘Queen City’ of Maine.
8. Biddeford
Households: 8,493Gay Households: 72
% Gay Households: 0.85%
More on Biddeford: Comment | Data | Jobs
Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census. Twin city of Saco, Biddeford includes the resort community of Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Granite Point. The town is the site of the University of New England and the annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival. First visited by Europeans in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States.
9. Auburn
Households: 9,774Gay Households: 82
% Gay Households: 0.84%
More on Auburn: Comment | Data | Jobs
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. Auburn and Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston-Auburn.
10. Augusta
Households: 8,407Gay Households: 53
% Gay Households: 0.63%
More on Augusta: Comment | Data | Jobs
Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.
How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in Maine?
In order to rank the gayest cities in Maine, we used the 2011-2016 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 21 with the city containing the highest percentage of unmarried, same sex partners households being the most gay.
In the end, Belfast ended up being the the most gay place with 1.96% gay households.
Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in Maine. 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 Maine
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in Maine, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in Maine:
- Calais
- Ellsworth
- Caribou
For more Maine reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Gayest Cities In Maine
| Rank | City | % Gay Households | 1 |
|---|---|
| Belfast | 0.02% | 2 |
| Hallowell | 0.02% | 3 |
| Portland | 0.01% | 4 |
| Bath | 0.01% | 5 |
| Presque Isle | 0.01% | 6 |
| Brewer | 0.01% | 7 |
| Bangor | 0.01% | 8 |
| Biddeford | 0.01% | 9 |
| Auburn | 0.01% | 10 |
| Augusta | 0.01% | 11 |
| Gardiner | 0.01% | 12 |
| Saco | 0.01% | 13 |
| South Portland | 0.01% | 14 |
| Old Town | 0.01% | 15 |
| Rockland | 0.0% | 16 |
| Lewiston | 0.0% | 17 |
| Waterville | 0.0% | 18 |
| Westbrook | 0.0% | 19 |
| Caribou | 0.0% | 20 |
| Ellsworth | 0.0% | 21 |
| Calais | 0.0% |
