The Best States to Start an LGBTQ+ Family in 2025

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By Rebecca Edwards and Cathy Habas

Jul 02, 2025

7 min read

Image: Move.org

Deciding where to put down roots and start your family can be stressful, especially for LGBTQ+ families. Despite the strides toward equality the US has made in the last decade, as of 2025 there are more than 500 pending state legislative bills that threaten the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of places in the US where LGBTQ+ individuals and families regularly experience discrimination and abuse.

Learn which states are more likely to welcome your family with open arms and which ones you should examine more closely before you move.

See full ranking of all 50 states
View key research findings

How we ranked the safest states for LGBTQ+ families

For this year's report, we teamed up with SafeWise, a website committed to helping people live a safer life at home and in their community.

We examined each state from multiple angles:

Population: A higher percentage of LGBTQ+ households, including those with children, suggests those states are already welcoming, safe places where LGBTQ+ people want to live. Our LGBTQ+ population estimates come from UCLA School of Law Williams Institute.
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: We looked at data from the FBI and the National Victimization Survey to calculate an LGBTQ+ individual's risk of experiencing a hate crime in each state.
State government: Democrats in state legislatures tend to support more protective legislation for the LGBTQ+ population.
Legislation: We used data from the Movement Advancement Project to identify how many protective and discriminatory LGBTQ+ laws each state already has on the books. We also used ACLU data to see how many anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been proposed, advanced, passed, or defeated so far in 2025.
Cost of living: Because moving is our specialty, our scoring and ranking system considers the cost of living of each state to balance safety with affordability. We used the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center's cost of living indices. An index of 100 is average.
Average home values and rent: This information came from Zillow and is incorporated into the ranking to help you find the safest place you can afford.
SafeWise.com safety ranking: This shows where each state falls in SafeWise's list of the the safest states for LGBTQ+ people, which doesn't incorporate cost of living, average home values, or average rent prices.

We’d also like to note that we didn’t look into local laws. Some cities in states that scored poorly in our rankings may have more inclusive local laws and may be good options for your family. Likewise, states that scored higher in our rankings may have areas with less inclusive local laws.

See all sources used for this report.

Same sex couple and their child preparing dinner in kitchen stock photo

Image: Kemal Yildirim, iStock

Key findings

To help you and your partner find a safe and accepting place to raise your family, we compared state safety and cost of living data to nationwide trends. Here's a closer look at our key findings.

LGBTQ+ population

It's nice to have a community of other LGBTQ+ households in your area to know that you're not alone. Plus, a higher percentage of LGBTQ+ households could mean that people think it's a safe place to live. Here's what we learned about LGBTQ+ populations around the country:

Nationwide, about 5.7% of the population is LGBTQ+. That's more than 19.3 million people.
Most LGBTQ+ individuals live in California (1.5 million), Texas (1 million), and Florida (898,000).
For the second year in a row, Oregon reports the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ people (7.8%), followed by Delaware (7.5%), Vermont (7.4%), and New Hampshire (7.2%).
Mississippi and West Virginia tie for the smallest LGBTQ+ population at 4.1%, followed by North Carolina (4.4%) and Illinois (4.5%).

LGBTQ+ households with children

On average, about 28% of LGBTQ+ families have children.
Idaho, where the most anti LGBTQ+ bills were passed so far this year, has the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ families with children—45%. Overall, 5.3% of Idaho's population is LGBTQ+.
Utah has the second highest percentage of LGBTQ+ families with children (41%), followed by Oklahoma (39%) and Arkansas (37%).
LGBTQ+ families in North Dakota are least likely to have children. Only 10% do.

Hate crimes and LGBTQ+ legislation

Some LGBTQ+ people worry that being out will cause backlash. Here's what you need to know about hate crimes and laws around the country:

Hate crimes

LGBTQ+ individuals have the greatest chance of experiencing a hate crime in Pennsylvania, California, New Mexico, and Florida. In these four states, the risk of experiencing a hate crime related to LGBTQ+ identity is double the national average.
LGBTQ+ individuals have the lowest chance of experiencing a hate crime in New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island.

Protective laws

The average state has about 11 laws that protect sexual orientation and about 11 laws that protect gender identity.
The average state has at least one law that negatively affects sexual orientation rights and about four laws that negatively affect gender identity rights.
Colorado has 25 laws that protect sexual orientation, which is the highest number nationwide. Alabama has just one.
Illinois, Maine, and New York tie for the greatest number of laws that protect gender identity (25 each). Wyoming has zero.

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws

54 anti LGBTQ+ bills have been passed so far in 2025. Nationwide, 511 bills have been active in state legislatures through May 31, 2025.
Texas proposed 86 bills against LGBTQ+ this year, the most in the nation; none have been defeated.
Idaho and Wyoming have passed the most legislation (seven bills each) against LGBTQ+ people so far this year.
Only two states—Vermont and New York—have zero anti LGBTQ+ laws pending in 2025, down from 10 states in 2024.
Tennessee has the most anti-LGBTQ+ laws already on the books: six discriminate against sexual orientation, and 11 discriminate against gender identity.
States with no existing anti-LGBTQ+ laws tend to be located in the northeast.

Party majorities

All of the top seven states have Democrat majorities in both the House and Senate.
Only two of the top seven states (Nevada and Vermont) have Republican governors.

Cost of living

We factored the cost of living into our total scores and rankings to help LGBTQ+ families find a safe place to live that's also easy on the budget. Here's what you need to know about the cost of living around the country:

All 7 of our top states have a Cost of Living Index score of at least 100, meaning their average cost of living matches or exceeds the national average.
The average home value nationwide is $387,855.30. The average monthly rent is $2,009.31.
Delaware, this year's safest state for LGBTQ+ families, has the lowest cost of living among our top seven states.
Among our top seven states, Delaware (#1) has the most affordable housing, Colorado (#3) has the most affordable groceries, utilities, and transportation, and Nevada (#5) has the most affordable healthcare.
Of the five states with the lowest cost of living, Kansas (#15) has the highest LGBTQ+ safety score.

Ready to make a move?

If you’re eager to start your family ASAP, but you first need to move to a state where you and your loved ones will feel safer and more accepted, use one of our favorite moving companies to get there.

Most friendly states for LGBTQ+ families

1. Delaware

Population: 1,051,917 total general population; 7.5% LGBTQ+; 36% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 2.66%
State government: Democrat trifecta
Current protective laws: 14 for sexual orientation, 15 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 1 for sexual orientation, 1 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: 1 advancing
Average home value price: $402,790.96
Average rent price: $2,062.13
Cost of living index: 100.8 (about average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 8

2. Maine

Population: 1,405,012 total general population; 6.8% LGBTQ+; 21% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 1.41%
State government: Democrat trifecta
Current protective laws: 23 for sexual orientation, 25 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 0 for sexual orientation, 0 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: 4 advancing
Average home value price: $408,807.50
Average rent price: $3,225.57
Cost of living index: 112.1 (higher than average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 1

3. Colorado

Population: 5,957,493 total general population; 6.8% LGBTQ+; 26% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 4.14%
State government: Democrat trifecta
Current protective laws: 25 for sexual orientation, 24 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 1 for sexual orientation, 1 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: 4 defeated
Average home value price: $574,557.19
Average rent price: $3,370.90
Cost of living index: 102 (slightly higher than average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 3

4. Washington

Population: 7,958,180 total general population; 6.9% LGBTQ+; 28% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 4.27%
State government: Democrat trifecta
Current protective laws: 19 for sexual orientation, 24 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 1 for sexual orientation, 1 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: 4 advancing
Average home value price: $629,732.65
Average rent price: $2,280.39
Cost of living index: 114.2 (higher than average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 6

5. Nevada

Population: 3,267,467 total general population; 6.6% LGBTQ+; 22% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 4.15%
State government: Split (Republican governor, Democrat majority in House and Senate)
Current protective laws: 23 for sexual orientation, 23 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 0 for sexual orientation, 1 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: 1 passed into law, 2 defeated
Average home value price: $473,581.27
Average rent price: $1,770.63
Cost of living index: 101.3 (slightly higher than average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 5

6. Vermont

Population: 648,493 total general population; 7.4% LGBTQ+; 24% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 2.14%
State government: Split (Republican governor, Democrat majority in House and Senate)
Current protective laws: 20 for sexual orientation, 23 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 0 for sexual orientation, 0 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: None
Average home value price: $403,087.20
Average rent price: $2,011.40
Cost of living index: 114.4 (higher than average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 4

7. New York

Population: 19,867,248 total general population; 5.5% LGBTQ+; 22% LGBTQ+ with children
LGBTQ+ hate crime victimization risk: 5.8%
State government: Democrat trifecta
Current protective laws: 22 for sexual orientation, 25 for gender identity
Current discriminatory laws: 0 for sexual orientation, 0 for gender identity
2025 anti-LGBTQ+ legislation: None
Average home value price: $475,964.87
Average rent price: $1,746.02
Cost of living index: 123.3 (higher than average)
SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ Safety Ranking: 2

Thinking about moving? Compare the best moving companies

Company	Type of Mover	Average quote	Deposit amount	Service locations	Learn more
Allied Van Lines	Full-service mover	$8,750	None	50 states	Get a Quote
Colonial Van Lines	Full-service mover	$9,000	Up to 40%	40–46 states*	Get a Quote
American Van Lines	Full-service mover	$7,746	10%–50%	50 states	Get a Quote
United Van Lines	Full-service mover	$9,000	None	50 states	Get a Quote
Mayzlin Relocation	Full-service mover	$9,250	25%	48 states	Get a Quote

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Pricing data collected by requesting estimates from top moving container companies for four home sizes across six distances.

*There are 10 states where Colonial can't pick up your belongings, and four where they can't deliver. Call Colonial to confirm availability.

Compare LGBTQ+ data across all states

We have so much data to share, we had to split it into two tables!

Table 1 shows our "Best for LGBTQ+ Families" ranking of all fifty states plus LGBTQ+ population data, cost of living data, and SafeWise.com safety rankings.
Table 2 shows LGBTQ+ legislation in all fifty states, including current laws that protect LGBTQ+ rights, current laws that discriminate against LGBTQ+ rights, and the Movement Advancement Project's (MAP) overall policy score (higher numbers are better).

Table 1: All 50 states ranked in order from most to least friendly to LGBTQ+ families

Rank	State	Estimated number of LGBTQ+ individuals	LGBTQ+ households with children	Chance of experiencing anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime	Cost of living index	Average home value	Average cost of monthly rent	SafeWise.com LGBTQ+ safety rank
1	Delaware	56,600 (7.5% of population)	36%	2.66%	100.8	$402,791	$2,062	8
2	Maine	73,700 (6.8% of population)	21%	1.41%	112.1	$408,808	$2,345	1
3	Colorado	294,500 (6.8% of population)	26%	4.14%	102	$574,557	$3,226	3
4	Washington	398,700 (6.9% of population)	28%	4.27%	114.2	$629,733	$2,321	6
5	Nevada	150,100 (6.6% of population)	22%	4.15%	101.3	$473,581	$2,239	5
6	Vermont	37,600 (7.4% of population)	24%	2.14%	114.4	$403,087	$3,050	4
7	New York	853,600 (5.5% of population)	22%	5.80%	123.3	$475,965	$2,524	2
8	Michigan	467,300 (6% of population)	28%	3.02%	90.4	$254,636	$1,654	22
9	Illinois	446,600 (4.5% of population)	28%	4.49%	94.4	$286,847	$1,454	20
10	New Mexico	87,600 (5.5% of population)	29%	6.64%	93.3	$315,619	$1,873	16
11	Minnesota	267,600 (6.3% of population)	29%	2.63%	95.1	$353,113	$1,751	17
12	Oregon	253,300 (7.8% of population)	24%	3.21%	112	$516,682	$2,226	12
13	New Hampshire	78,400 (7.2% of population)	32%	1.04%	112.6	$519,115	$2,909	18
14	Maryland	252,700 (5.4% of population)	20%	4.37%	115.3	$449,858	$1,807	7
15	Kansas	129,800 (5.9% of population)	34%	3.78%	87	$238,729	$238,729	25
16	Ohio	557,600 (6.2% of population)	31%	2.69%	94.2	$240,735	$1,345	29
17	Rhode Island	54,800 (6.5% of population)	19%	1.67%	112.2	$498,956	$2,885	10
18	California	1,549,600 (5.1% of population)	24%	6.73%	144.8	$820,061	$2,932	11
19	Massachusetts	356,200 (6.5% of population)	21%	1.83%	145.9	$681,325	$2,948	9
20	Pennsylvania	586,500 (5.8% of population)	27%	8.15%	95.1	$280,769	$1,564	21
21	Alaska	32,600 (5.9% of population)	35%	4.41%	123.8	$391,172	$2,216	19
22	Connecticut	170,500 (6% of population)	20%	2.46%	112.3	$454,245	$3,436	14
23	Nebraska	78,700 (5.5% of population)	33%	1.73%	93.1	$272,793	$1,572	23
24	New Jersey	367,300 (5.3% of population)	25%	4.25%	114.6	$584,102	$2,848	14
25	Wisconsin	258,400 (5.7%) of population	30%	2.21%	97	$329,667	$1,594	24
26	Hawaii	56,900 (5.1% of population)	30%	3.84%	186.9	$990,445	$3,557	13
27	Utah	133,000 (6.1% of population)	41%	3.01%	104.9	$549,435	$2,412	28
28	Virginia	390,700 (5.9% of population)	27%	2.82%	100.7	$414,085	$1,918	26
29	Indiana	277,100 (5.4% of population)	34%	3.70%	90.5	$251,444	$1,399	36
30	Louisiana	202,600 (5.7% of population)	29%	5.64%	92.2	$209,109	$1,416	33
31	North Dakota	28,400 (4.9% of population)	10%	3.50%	91.9	$283,596	$1,687	27
32	Oklahoma	164,600 (5.5% of population)	39%	4.07%	85.7	$216,516	$1,257	43
33	Arizona	317,200 (5.9% of population)	25%	4.55%	111.5	$444,315	$2,100	30
34	Kentucky	168,600 (4.9% of population)	26%	3.13%	93	$225,931	$1,529	34
35	Missouri	282,000 (6% of population)	27%	3.55%	88.7	$260,992	$1,406	40
36	Iowa	113,600 (4.7% of population)	27%	3.33%	89.7	$231,745	$1,426	39
37	West Virginia	60,000 (4.1% of population)	31%	3.15%	84.1	$167,040	$1,327	38
38	North Carolina	353,100 (4.4% of population)	26%	4.80%	97.8	$338,185	$1,871	31
39	Arkansas	121,900 (5.3% of population)	37%	4.83%	88.7	$217,700	$1,312	44
40	South Dakota	34,500 (5.3% of population)	30%	3.45%	92.2	$317,153	$1,753	41
41	Georgia	402,900 (5.1% of population)	27%	3.59%	91.3	$339,288	$1,685	32
42	Wyoming	26,300 (5.9% of population)	29%	2.76%	95.5	$361,742	$1,520	35
43	Texas	1,071,300 (5.1% of population)	29%	4.95%	92.7	$309,101	$1,750	37
44	Mississippi	93,300 (4.1% of population)	34%	5.71%	87.9	$188,963	$1,575	46
45	Tennessee	328,900 (6.3% of population)	30%	4.06%	90.5	$332,842	$1,770	50
46	Florida	898,000 (5.4% of population)	24%	6.59%	102.8	$409,707	$2,354	42
47	Alabama	173,000 (4.6% of population)	24%	4.22%	88	$231,868	$1,486	45
48	Idaho	68,100 (5.3% of population)	45%	1.78%	102	$476,002	$1,859	48
49	South Carolina	192,800 (4.9% of population)	30%	4.47%	95.9	$305,096	$1,962	46
50	Montana	41,800 (5.1% of population)	19%	3.72%	94.9	$463,518	$2,166	49

Table 2: Protective and discriminatory LGBTQ+ legislation in all 50 states (alphabetical order)

State	Laws Protecting Sexual Orientation	Laws Discriminating Against Sexual Orientation	Laws Protecting Gender Identity	Laws Discriminating Against Gender Identity	MAP Overall Policy Score
Alabama	1	3	1	9	-10.5
Alaska	3	1	2	2	8.25
Arizona	7	2	3	4	7.5
Arkansas	3	5	2	10	-12.25
California	24	1	24	1	45
Colorado	25	1	24	1	45.25
Connecticut	20	0	21	0	40.75
Delaware	14	1	15	1	30.25
Florida	4	4	3	8	-3
Georgia	3	1	3	3	-1
Hawaii	14	0	17	0	31.25
Idaho	4	5	2	11	-9.5
Illinois	23	1	25	1	43
Indiana	7	2	2	6	-2.75
Iowa	13	2	7	7	6.5
Kansas	4	1	1	4	1
Kentucky	6	2	5	5	5
Louisiana	4	2	2	7	-6.75
Maine	23	0	25	0	44.5
Maryland	20	0	22	0	43
Massachusetts	20	0	22	0	39
Michigan	16	2	20	2	30
Minnesota	18	0	21	0	36.75
Mississippi	4	3	2	8	-7.5
Missouri	7	2	2	4	-1.5
Montana	7	4	3	10	-3.75
Nebraska	3	1	1	4	1.25
Nevada	23	0	23	1	41.25
New Hampshire	17	1	18	3	32.5
New Jersey	21	0	24	0	41.75
New Mexico	18	0	23	0	36
New York	22	0	25	0	44.5
North Carolina	7	2	5	5	7.25
North Dakota	7	1	6	7	10.5
Ohio	6	4	4	9	2.25
Oklahoma	5	2	2	7	-5.5
Oregon	18	0	22	0	37.5
Pennsylvania	5	1	8	1	16.75
Rhode Island	18	0	21	0	38
South Carolina	5	3	1	7	-7.75
South Dakota	4	3	3	7	-7.5
Tennessee	5	6	4	11	-14
Texas	4	1	2	3	-1.75
Utah	8	2	8	8	10
Vermont	20	0	23	0	39.5
Virginia	14	1	16	4	24.5
Washington	19	1	24	1	40.25
West Virginia	6	1	4	7	-0.75
Wisconsin	12	1	5	1	17.75
Wyoming	3	1	0	6	-6

This data is accurate as of May 31, 2025. The MAP Overall Policy Score comes from the Movement Advancement Project's analysis of LGBTQ+ legislation. Higher scores are better.

Bottom line: Moving may help you find a safe, welcoming community

Moving may not solve all of life's problems, but it could mean the difference between holding hands in public or withholding affection; between wearing the clothes that make you feel amazing or wearing the clothes that make you blend in; between feeling supported and feeling alone—and so much more.

We all deserve to feel safe in our communities without having to hide who we are. Although there are vibrant LGBTQ+-friendly communities in all states, we hope our list of the best states for LGBTQ+ families helps you find a place where you have plenty of opportunities to live, work, and play as your authentic self.

Sources

Zillow.com, "Housing Data," Accessed July 2025.
Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, "Cost of Living Data Series," Accessed July 2025.
ACLU, "Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights 2025," Accessed July 2025.
US Census, "Explore Census Data," Accessed July 2025.
Williams Institute, "Adult LGBT Population in the United States," Accessed July 2025
Ballotpedia, "Governor State Executive Office," Accessed July 2025.
Ballotpedia, "List of United States Legislatures," Accessed July 2025.
FBI, "Crime Data Explorer," Accessed July 2025.
Movement Advancement Project, "Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality By State," Accessed July 2025.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)," Accessed July 2025.

Written by

Rebecca Edwards

Rebecca has been a journalist and blogger for over 30 years, with a focus on home services and tech for the past decade. Rebecca has moved over 15 times across towns, states, and the country. You can find her expert advice and analysis in places like TechCrunch, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, NPR, HGTV, MSN, Reader's Digest, Real Simple, and an ever-growing library of radio, podcast, and TV clips. She’s also the lead reporter and in-house expert for SafeWise.