According to the 2020 census Gay male couples tend to gravitate toward big cities on the U.S. coasts, while lesbian couples tend to prefer smaller cities or towns, data that seems to reinforce some preconceived notions about queer communities in the U.S.
Counties with the highest concentrations of male same-sex couple households were those that include San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston and Washington, D.C., according to a report released last week.
Some of the highest concentrations of female same-sex couple households were in the Berkshires, Portland, Oregon; Asheville, North Carolina; and Ithaca, New York.
The locations aren't entirely surprising, since they fall in line with cultural stereotypes of gay men being urban creatures and lesbian women being outdoorsy, said Crissi Dalfonzo, director of the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services at Ithaca College.
Gender pay inequity may be a factor. Experts say some of the differences may be due to male couples having higher incomes and able to live in more expensive big cities, while female couples are more likely to be raising children.
"In general, large urban settings are more expensive and less child-friendly than suburban and rural areas. As such, it makes sense that female couples would opt for less urban locales," said Gary Gates, a retired UCLA demographer who studied LGBTQ issues. More here from our friends at NBCOut.com
