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 0.24% of South Carolina residents is gay? That ranks as the number 35 most gay state in the nation. That means there are a total of 4,939 gay households in The Palmetto State.
Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in South Carolina.
After analyzing 98 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in South Carolina for 2020.
The 10 Gayest Places In South Carolina For 2020
- Ridgeland (Photos)
- Clover (Photos)
- Hollywood
- Lake City (Photos)
- Clinton
- Springdale
- Greenwood (Photos)
- Orangeburg (Photos)
- West Columbia (Photos)
- Simpsonville (Photos)
What’s the gayest place in South Carolina? According to the facts, Ridgeland is the gayest place in South Carolina 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 South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Carolina
- Most Dangerous Cities In South Carolina
The 10 Gayest Cities In South Carolina For 2020
/10
/10
Clover is a town in York County, South Carolina, United States located in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area. As of 2010, the population was at 5,094 within the town limits. Clover is twinned with the Northern Irish town of Larne on County Antrim’s East Coast.
/10
Households: 2,151
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Gay Households: 19 (28th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.77% (3rd highest)
More on Hollywood: Data
/10
Lake City is a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,675 at the 2010 census. Located in central South Carolina, it is south of Florence and included as part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.
/10
Households: 2,981
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 5)
Gay Households: 21 (26th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.41% (5th highest)
More on Clinton: Data
Clinton is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,490 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clinton is the home of Presbyterian College.
/10
Households: 1,154
Rank Last Year: 52 (Up 46)
Gay Households: 6 (44th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.04% (6th highest)
More on Springdale: Data
/10
/10
Orangeburg, also known as The Garden City, is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2010 United States census. The city is located 37 miles southeast of Columbia, on the north fork of the Edisto River in the Piedmont area.
/10
West Columbia is a city and commuter town in the suburban eastern sections of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population was 14,988. It is a part of the greater Columbia, SC metropolitan statistical area.
/10
Simpsonville is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,238 at the 2010 census, up from 14,352 in 2000. The population had risen to an estimated 20,736 as of 2015. Simpsonville is part of the “Golden Strip”, along with Mauldin and Fountain Inn, an area which is noted for having low unemployment due to a diversity of industries including Para-Chem, Kemet, Sealed Air and Milliken.
How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in South Carolina for 2020
In order to rank the gayest cities in South Carolina, 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 98 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 6.39% gay households. You can download the data here.
Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in South Carolina. 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 South Carolina For 2020
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in South Carolina, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in South Carolina:
- York
- Greer
- Florence
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In South Carolina
- Safest Places In South Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In South Carolina
- Most Expensive Places To Live In South Carolina
Detailed List Of The Gayest Places To Live In South Carolina
| Rank | City | Households |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ridgeland | 1,284 |
| 2 | Clover | 2,075 |
| 3 | Hollywood | 2,151 |
| 4 | Lake City | 2,349 |
| 5 | Clinton | 2,981 |
| 6 | Springdale | 1,154 |
| 7 | Greenwood | 8,914 |
| 8 | Orangeburg | 4,237 |
| 9 | West Columbia | 8,059 |
| 10 | Simpsonville | 8,073 |
| 11 | North Myrtle Beach | 7,640 |
| 12 | Summerville | 18,399 |
| 13 | Spartanburg | 15,294 |
| 14 | Columbia | 46,822 |
| 15 | Laurens | 3,763 |
| 16 | Charleston | 55,013 |
| 17 | Conway | 7,832 |
| 18 | Easley | 8,945 |
| 19 | Greenville | 28,762 |
| 20 | Irmo | 4,608 |
| 21 | North Augusta | 9,477 |
| 22 | Clemson | 6,246 |
| 23 | Hilton Head Island | 17,385 |
| 24 | North Charleston | 41,004 |
| 25 | Fort Mill | 5,702 |
| 26 | Myrtle Beach | 13,774 |
| 27 | Anderson | 11,436 |
| 28 | Chester | 2,235 |
| 29 | Hanahan | 8,376 |
| 30 | Sumter | 15,779 |
| 31 | Lexington | 7,995 |
| 32 | Rock Hill | 28,112 |
| 33 | Manning | 1,535 |
| 34 | Mullins | 1,633 |
| 35 | Newberry | 3,947 |
| 36 | Marion | 2,262 |
| 37 | Mauldin | 9,834 |
| 38 | Moncks Corner | 3,562 |
| 39 | Lyman | 1,388 |
| 40 | Mount Pleasant | 33,208 |
| 41 | Abbeville | 2,194 |
| 42 | Pendleton | 1,450 |
| 43 | Winnsboro | 1,278 |
| 44 | Williston | 1,159 |
| 45 | Williamston | 1,878 |
| 46 | Westminster | 1,068 |
| 47 | Walterboro | 2,310 |
| 48 | Walhalla | 1,756 |
| 49 | Pageland | 1,083 |
| 50 | Union | 3,455 |
| 51 | Tega Cay | 3,454 |
| 52 | Surfside Beach | 2,070 |
| 53 | Seneca | 3,750 |
| 54 | Saluda | 1,150 |
| 55 | Port Royal | 3,688 |
| 56 | Pickens | 1,272 |
| 57 | Travelers Rest | 1,813 |
| 58 | Loris | 1,050 |
| 59 | Inman | 1,171 |
| 60 | Landrum | 1,081 |
| 61 | Darlington | 2,772 |
| 62 | Cheraw | 2,124 |
| 63 | Central | 2,506 |
| 64 | Cayce | 5,905 |
| 65 | Camden | 2,953 |
| 66 | Bluffton | 6,790 |
| 67 | Bishopville | 1,234 |
| 68 | Denmark | 1,072 |
| 69 | Bennettsville | 2,947 |
| 70 | Beaufort | 4,835 |
| 71 | Batesburg-Leesville | 2,010 |
| 72 | Barnwell | 1,736 |
| 73 | Bamberg | 1,138 |
| 74 | Andrews | 1,094 |
| 75 | Allendale | 1,250 |
| 76 | Aiken | 13,211 |
| 77 | Belton | 2,014 |
| 78 | Liberty | 1,381 |
| 79 | Dillon | 2,130 |
| 80 | Edgefield | 1,204 |
| 81 | Lancaster | 3,444 |
| 82 | Kingstree | 1,407 |
| 83 | Isle Of Palms | 1,879 |
| 84 | Woodruff | 1,509 |
| 85 | Honea Path | 1,522 |
| 86 | Hartsville | 3,065 |
| 87 | Hardeeville | 2,402 |
| 88 | Duncan | 1,236 |
| 89 | Hampton | 1,212 |
| 90 | Goose Creek | 13,770 |
| 91 | Georgetown | 3,422 |
| 92 | Gaffney | 4,293 |
| 93 | Fountain Inn | 2,939 |
| 94 | Forest Acres | 4,557 |
| 95 | Folly Beach | 1,357 |
| 96 | Florence | 15,291 |
| 97 | Greer | 11,212 |
| 98 | York | 3,353 |
