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 0.22% of West Virginia residents is gay? That ranks as the number 38 most gay state in the nation. That means there are a total of 1,759 gay households in The Mountain State.
Our goal with this post is to use data and science to determine the gayest cities in West Virginia.
After analyzing 54 cities with over 1,000 households, we’ve determined these are The Gayest Cities in West Virginia for 2020.
The 10 Gayest Places In West Virginia For 2020
- Pleasant Valley
- Milton (Photos)
- Wellsburg (Photos)
- Westover
- Charleston (Photos)
- Clarksburg (Photos)
- Martinsburg (Photos)
- Huntington (Photos)
- Fairmont (Photos)
- Morgantown (Photos)
What’s the gayest place in West Virginia? According to the facts, Pleasant Valley is the gayest place in West Virginia 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 West Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In West Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia
The 10 Gayest Cities In West Virginia For 2020
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Households: 1,333
Rank Last Year: 22 (Up 21)
Gay Households: 11 (14th highest)
% Gay Households: 1.65% (1st highest)
More on Pleasant Valley: Data
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Households: 1,894
Rank Last Year: 23 (Up 19)
Gay Households: 9 (17th highest)
% Gay Households: 0.95% (4th highest)
More on Westover: Data
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Charleston is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of West Virginia, and the county seat of Kanawha County. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers. As of the 2013 Census Estimate, it had a population of 50,821, while its metropolitan area had 224,743. It is a center of government, commerce, and industry.
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Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. The population of the city was 16,578 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 94,221 in 2014. Clarksburg was named National Small City of the Year in 2011 by the National League of Cities.
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Martinsburg is a city in and the county seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, in the tip of the state’s Eastern Panhandle region. Its population was 17,687 in the 2016 census estimate, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the ninth-largest municipality in the state. Martinsburg is part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Huntington is a city in Cabell County and Wayne County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and largest city in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A historic and bustling city of commerce and heavy industry, Huntington has long-flourished due to its ideal location on the Ohio River at the mouth of the Guyandotte River. It is home to the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the busiest inland port in the United States.
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Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.
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Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. With a permanent population of 31,073 per the 2015 U.S. Census estimates, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia. The Morgantown metropolitan area has a population of 138,176, and is the 3rd largest in West Virginia. West Virginia University adds several thousand seasonal residents to the city and surrounding area from September through May. Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University and the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system.
How do you determine the best cities for same-sex households in West Virginia for 2020
In order to rank the gayest cities in West Virginia, 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 54 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 1.65% gay households. You can download the data here.
Read on below to learn more about the gayest places in West Virginia. 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 West Virginia For 2020
If you’re looking at the number of gay households in West Virginia, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least gay places in West Virginia:
- Winfield
- Grafton
- Williamstown
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In West Virginia
- Safest Places In West Virginia
- Worst Places To Live In West Virginia
- Most Expensive Places To Live In West Virginia
Detailed List Of The Gayest Places To Live In West Virginia
Rank | City | Households |
---|---|---|
1 | Pleasant Valley | 1,333 |
2 | Milton | 1,206 |
3 | Wellsburg | 1,323 |
4 | Westover | 1,894 |
5 | Charleston | 21,970 |
6 | Clarksburg | 6,257 |
7 | Martinsburg | 7,166 |
8 | Huntington | 19,755 |
9 | Fairmont | 7,577 |
10 | Morgantown | 10,522 |
11 | Paden City | 1,165 |
12 | Princeton | 2,597 |
13 | Parkersburg | 13,152 |
14 | Beckley | 7,297 |
15 | Wheeling | 11,723 |
16 | Oak Hill | 3,517 |
17 | Nitro | 2,712 |
18 | Petersburg | 1,105 |
19 | Philippi | 1,389 |
20 | South Charleston | 5,662 |
21 | Ravenswood | 1,483 |
22 | Ripley | 1,411 |
23 | St. Albans | 4,402 |
24 | Vienna | 4,510 |
25 | Weirton | 8,189 |
26 | Weston | 1,714 |
27 | White Sulphur Springs | 1,176 |
28 | Williamson | 1,331 |
29 | Point Pleasant | 1,788 |
30 | New Martinsville | 2,002 |
31 | Barboursville | 1,701 |
32 | Moorefield | 1,390 |
33 | Bethlehem | 1,063 |
34 | Bluefield | 4,194 |
35 | Bridgeport | 3,405 |
36 | Buckhannon | 2,002 |
37 | Charles Town | 2,316 |
38 | Chester | 1,271 |
39 | Dunbar | 3,703 |
40 | Elkins | 2,888 |
41 | Fayetteville | 1,256 |
42 | Moundsville | 3,583 |
43 | Follansbee | 1,286 |
44 | Granville | 1,005 |
45 | Hinton | 1,228 |
46 | Hurricane | 2,348 |
47 | Kenova | 1,264 |
48 | Keyser | 2,072 |
49 | Kingwood | 1,152 |
50 | Lewisburg | 2,001 |
51 | Madison | 1,161 |
52 | Williamstown | 1,305 |
53 | Grafton | 2,140 |
54 | Winfield | 1,008 |