It’s official, the census says: Homosexual male {couples} like San Francisco. Lesbians just like the Berkshires

Homosexual male {couples} are inclined to gravitate towards huge cities on the U.S. coasts, whereas lesbian {couples} are inclined to want smaller, extra pastoral cities or cities, in line with 2020 census figures that reinforce some preconceived notions about LGBTQ communities within the U.S.

Counties with the very best concentrations of male same-sex couple households have been people who embody San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston and Washington, D.C., in line with a U.S. Census Bureau report launched final week.

A few of the highest concentrations of feminine same-sex couple households have been in Hampshire and Franklin counties within the Berkshires, a rural area of western Massachusetts that’s house to a number of schools, artwork museums and theaters. Additionally within the rely have been counties which might be house to Portland, Oregon; Asheville, North Carolina; and Ithaca, New York, the place Cornell College and Ithaca Faculty are situated.

The areas aren’t fully stunning, since they fall in step with cultural stereotypes of homosexual males being city creatures and lesbian girls being outdoorsy, stated Crissi Dalfonzo, director of the Heart for LGBT Schooling, Outreach and Providers at Ithaca Faculty.

“Stereotypes typically exist for a purpose, however they are often problematic as a result of they’ll take away the individuality,” Dalfonzo stated.

Gender pay inequity could also be an element, too. Specialists say a number of the variations could also be on account of male {couples} having larger incomes and capable of reside in costlier huge cities, whereas feminine {couples} usually tend to be elevating kids.

“Basically, giant city settings are costlier and fewer child-friendly than suburban and rural areas. As such, it is smart that feminine {couples} would go for much less city locales,” stated Gary Gates, a retired UCLA demographer who studied LGBTQ points.

The variations play into some conventional stereotypes, however additionally they could boil right down to the place female and male {couples} really feel most comfortable, whether or not it’s a sense of group or security in smaller cities or the consolation of “gayborhoods” in huge cities, stated Amy Stone, a sociology professor at Trinity College in San Antonio.

“It’s the place individuals really feel protected dwelling or the place they discover help. The place homosexual {couples} really feel protected and the place feminine {couples} really feel protected isn’t at all times the identical place,” Stone stated.

Stone studied at Amherst Faculty in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, within the Berkshires, which can be house to the College of Massachusetts Amherst and two traditionally all-female schools, Smith and Mount Holyoke schools. The county had the biggest share of feminine same-sex couple households within the U.S., at virtually 4%, in line with the 2020 census. Over the a long time, it has been house to lesbian music and movie festivals, in addition to scores of lesbian-owned companies and cultural establishments.

“Everybody knew it was a spot lesbians typically stayed after graduating,” Stone stated. “There have been a number of lesbian establishments there for a very long time.”

San Francisco County had the biggest share of male same-sex couple households, at virtually 6%.

There was some overlap between the ten cities and counties with the biggest share of feminine and male same-sex couple households — Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia; and St. Louis. Rounding out the listing for male same-sex couple households have been counties or parishes which might be house to New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For feminine same-sex couple households, it included the county that’s house to Decatur, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta; and Baltimore.

In pure numbers, Los Angeles County was tops for each varieties of same-sex {couples}, nevertheless it’s additionally by far essentially the most populous county within the U.S., with greater than 10 million residents.

In its present type, the once-a-decade census captures LGBTQ individuals provided that they’re dwelling collectively as spouses or companions, via queries about family relationships, which is barely a couple of sixth of the LGBTQ inhabitants within the U.S., in line with some estimates. Because of this, it misses people who find themselves single or are usually not cohabitating, in addition to transgender individuals.

It has solely been within the final decade that the Census Bureau added “same sex” and “opposite sex” to its relationship classes for spouses and single companions in its surveys and the census.

The Census Bureau currently is looking at adding questions about sexual orientation and gender identification for individuals ages 15 and older to its annual American Group Survey, which is the company’s most complete survey of American life.

Homosexual {couples} are extremely seen in Broward County, house to Fort Lauderdale, which has a homosexual police chief and mayor, stated Keith Blackburn, who heads the Better Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s the heat and acceptance that everybody in Broward County appears to offer our group. We have now a number of brazenly homosexual officers,” Blackburn stated. “You see same-sex {couples} holding arms in every single place.”