Gayest Places In Massachusetts For 2020


We looked at years of data to determine which Massachusetts cities have the most pride

Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2020. This is our sixth time ranking the gayest places in Massachusetts.

Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.
[adrotate banner=”4″]

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 0.42% of Massachusetts residents is gay? That ranks as the number 8 most gay state in the nation. That means there are a total of 10,654 gay households in The Bay State.

Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in Massachusetts.

After analyzing 53 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in Massachusetts for 2020.

The 10 Gayest Places In Massachusetts For 2020

  1. Melrose (Photos)
  2. Cambridge (Photos)
  3. Salem (Photos)
  4. Medford (Photos)
  5. Chelsea (Photos)
  6. Somerville (Photos)
  7. Haverhill (Photos)
  8. Boston (Photos)
  9. Easthampton Town
  10. Barnstable Town (Photos)

What’s the gayest place in Massachusetts? According to the facts, Melrose is the gayest place in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts reading, check out:

[adrotate banner=”5″]

The 10 Gayest Cities In Massachusetts For 2020

Melrose, MA

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Households: 11,256
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 9)
Gay Households: 86 (22nd highest)
% Gay Households: 1.23% (1st highest)
More on Melrose:  Data | Photos

Melrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population as per the 2010 United States Census is 26,983. It is a suburb located approximately seven miles north of Boston and is situated in the center of the triangle created by Interstates 93, 95 and US Route 1.

Cambridge, MA

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Households: 46,184
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Gay Households: 437 (2nd highest)
% Gay Households: 1.19% (2nd highest)
More on Cambridge:  Data | Photos

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and part of the Boston metropolitan area.

Salem, MA

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Households: 18,222
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Gay Households: 112 (14th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.17% (3rd highest)
More on Salem:  Data | Photos

Salem is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, located on Massachusetts’ North Shore. It is a New England bedrock of history and is considered one of the most significant seaports in Puritan American history.

Medford, MA

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Households: 23,016
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Gay Households: 179 (7th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.16% (4th highest)
More on Medford:  Data | Photos

Medford is a city 3.2 miles northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford’s population was 56,173. It is home to Tufts University.

Chelsea, MA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Households: 13,151
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Gay Households: 76 (29th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.16% (5th highest)
More on Chelsea:  Data | Photos

Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. As of 2013, Chelsea had an estimated population of 36,828. It is also the second most densely populated city in Massachusetts behind Somerville. With a total area of just 2.21 square miles, Chelsea is the smallest city in Massachusetts in terms of total area.

Somerville, MA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Households: 32,851
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Gay Households: 313 (3rd highest)
% Gay Households: 1.11% (6th highest)
More on Somerville:  Data | Photos

Somerville is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of 2010, the United States Census lists the city with a total population of 75,754 people, making it the most densely populated municipality in New England. As of 2010, it was the 16th most densely populated incorporated municipality in the country. Somerville was established as a town in 1842, when it was separated from Charlestown. In 2006, the town was named the best-run city in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe. In 1972, in 2009, and again in 2015, the city received the All-America City Award.

Haverhill, MA

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Households: 24,155
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Gay Households: 166 (8th highest)
% Gay Households: 0.97% (7th highest)
More on Haverhill:  Data | Photos

Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.

Boston, MA

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Households: 266,724
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Gay Households: 1,939 (1st highest)
% Gay Households: 0.97% (8th highest)
More on Boston:  Data | Photos

Boston BOSS-tn) is the capital city and most populous municipality of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. It is also the seat of Suffolk County, although the county government was disbanded on July 1, 1999. The city proper covers 48 square miles with an estimated population of 673,184 in 2016, making it the largest city in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area home to a census-estimated 4.8million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country. As a combined statistical area, this wider commuting region is home to some 8.2million people, making it the sixth-largest in the United States.

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Households: 7,292
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 5)
Gay Households: 64 (33rd highest)
% Gay Households: 0.77% (9th highest)
More on Easthampton Town:  Data

Barnstable Town, MA

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Households: 19,009
Rank Last Year: 20 (Up 10)
Gay Households: 91 (20th highest)
% Gay Households: 0.64% (10th highest)
More on Barnstable Town:  Data | Photos

Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. At the 2010 census it had a population of 45,193. The town contains several villages within its boundaries. Its largest village, Hyannis, is the central business district of the county and home to Barnstable Municipal Airport, the airline hub of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Additionally, Barnstable is a 2007 winner of the All-America City Award.

[adrotate banner=”7″]

How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in Massachusetts for 2020

In order to rank the gayest cities in Massachusetts, 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 53 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 1.23% gay households. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts For 2020

If you’re looking at the number of gay households in Massachusetts, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in Massachusetts:

  • Marlborough
  • Palmer Town
  • Winthrop Town

For more Massachusetts reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Gayest Places To Live In Massachusetts

Rank City Households % Gay Households
1 Melrose 11,256 1.23%
2 Cambridge 46,184 1.19%
3 Salem 18,222 1.17%
4 Medford 23,016 1.16%
5 Chelsea 13,151 1.16%
6 Somerville 32,851 1.11%
7 Haverhill 24,155 0.97%
8 Boston 266,724 0.97%
9 Easthampton Town 7,292 0.77%
10 Barnstable Town 19,009 0.64%
11 Pittsfield 19,230 0.62%
12 Lowell 38,829 0.6%
13 Lynn 32,709 0.6%
14 Attleboro 17,378 0.59%
15 Watertown Town 15,498 0.53%
16 Westfield 15,272 0.52%
17 Taunton 22,184 0.51%
18 Beverly 16,687 0.5%
19 Northampton 11,163 0.47%
20 Waltham 23,631 0.45%
21 Worcester 71,145 0.43%
22 North Adams 5,759 0.42%
23 Gardner 8,222 0.39%
24 Malden 22,996 0.33%
25 Quincy 40,583 0.29%
26 New Bedford 39,242 0.29%
27 Fall River 38,660 0.29%
28 Newton 30,849 0.26%
29 Peabody 21,776 0.25%
30 Braintree Town 14,074 0.24%
31 Holyoke 15,275 0.24%
32 Revere 19,989 0.23%
33 West Springfield Town 12,037 0.2%
34 Methuen Town 17,692 0.18%
35 Springfield 56,476 0.15%
36 Gloucester 13,137 0.15%
37 Agawam Town 11,875 0.15%
38 Woburn 15,741 0.14%
39 Leominster 16,941 0.13%
40 Lawrence 25,635 0.12%
41 Everett 15,816 0.1%
42 Weymouth Town 23,284 0.05%
43 Brockton 32,157 0.05%
44 Newburyport 7,918 0.0%
45 Greenfield Town 7,875 0.0%
46 Southbridge Town 6,943 0.0%
47 Franklin Town 11,655 0.0%
48 Fitchburg 14,817 0.0%
49 Chicopee 23,002 0.0%
50 Amesbury Town 7,131 0.0%
51 Winthrop Town 8,006 0.0%
52 Palmer Town 4,896 0.0%
53 Marlborough 15,718 0.0%

How Is The Area In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.