What are 7 most affordable LGBTQ+ friendly cities for professionals
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What are 7 of the most affordable LGBTQ+ friendly cities for professionals?
On this Queer Money®, we’re sharing the 7 most affordable LGBTQ+ friendly cities for young queer professionals on our affordable, LGBTQ+-friendly city series.
Kicking us off at #7 is Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati is ranked this high because, on Niche.com, it ranked #44 for best cities for young professionals, the lowest in our top 7 list. Cincinnati has the lowest median and average incomes at $57,000 and $75,000, respectively. It has the lowest cost of living at 91.5% of the national average. We can say, without a doubt, that Cincinnati is a pretty cool city. We were recently in Cincinnati and enjoyed Over the Rhine, one of the hot neighborhoods in Cincy with bars, clubs, and shops. We also enjoyed Mixwells in the Northside neighborhood. We hopped the river to Covington, Kentucky, for a day and enjoyed the downtown area with all its Pride flags.
Seattle, Washington, came in at #6. Washington ranked #3 on Niche.com. It has the highest cost of living on our list of 7, at 167.8%, and the highest home value, at $690,000.
Alexandria, Virginia, came in at #5. According to Niche.com, it ranked #10 on their list. Alexandria tied with the #4 spot for the highest median income at $80,000. It tied with the #4 spot for the highest rents, at $2,179 monthly for a typical two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.
Arlington, Virginia, came in at #4. It ranked #5 on Niche.com. Arlington tied with Alexandria for the highest median income, at $80,000 a year. It also tied with Alexandria for the highest rents, at $2,179 monthly for a typical two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.
Chicago, Illinois, came in at #3. According to Niche.com, it ranked #21. There are so many great things about Chicago. It is a very welcoming city for LGBTQ folks, and decent rents and housing prices make it number three on our list.
It is worth noting that two cities on Niche.com’s top 5 are not called out on our top 7 list. Cambridge, Massachusetts, came in at #1. It is a very expensive city. Washington, D.C., didn’t have any HRC data, but Arlington and Alexandria are both close by and more affordable. For this data and all the data we’ve been gathering from this series, go to queermoneypodcast.com/cities
We have 3 honorable mentions. We looked at 160 cities to define the best cities for young LGBTQ professionals. Denver, Colorado, coming in at #12 and #11 on Niche.com. We just spent a month there and still love it, especially Colfax Street, which has all its fantastic restaurants and where the Pride parade goes. San Francisco comes in at #11 and #2 on Niche.com. Boston comes in at #10 and #6 on Niche.com.
Atlanta, Georgia, coming in at #2. According to Niche.com, it ranked #17. Atlanta has the highest average income in the top 7 at $105,000. It has a higher median income and is lower on the home and rental costs list. Atlanta is known to be very diverse, especially for its large African American population and we know it is a mecca for our queer black brothers and sisters.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, came in at #1. According to Niche.com, Pittsburgh ranked #14. It has the lowest home values, at $193,000, and the lowest rents, at $1,333 monthly for an average two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. It is the only city other than Cincinnati with the cost of living below the national average. Pittsburgh is at the top of our list for being the most LGBTQ-friendly college town. Pittsburgh has more than 60 higher education institutions for those wanting to advance their degrees. Many colleges have major hubs in Pittsburgh.
If you’d like to see the data for this growing series, get the dynamic list of Affordable LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities in the U.S. here or click the link in your podcast player for a growing analysis.
For the resources and to connect with our guests, get the show notes at: https://queermoneypodcast.com/subscribe.
Previous Bonus Podcast Episodes
- 10 Most Affordable LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities for Renters
- 10 Most Affordable LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities for Homebuyers
- 12 Best Countries for LGBTQ People
Click below to listen to this bonus episode.