It may surprise you to know that city residents are more likely than those living in suburban or rural areas to identify as LGBTQ+.
This data comes from a 2025 Gallup survey of 13,000 US adults.
In the graphics above, we visualized LGBTQ+ Identity Among U.S. Adults, by Subgroup as of the end of 2025.
As you see, nearly 11% of respondents who identify as LGBTQ+ are city residents, higher than in other areas.
TL;DR
- 9.3% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+ in 2025, nearly triple the 3.5% recorded in 2012.
- The dominant identity is bisexuality
- Geography shows a wider divide than race, with 10.9% of city residents identifying as LGBTQ+ compared with 7.0% of rural residents.
Geography and LGBTQ+ Identification in the U.S.
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Place of residence | Percentage of LGBTQ+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 21/02/2026 08:56 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 21/02/2026 08:56 PM | City residents | 10.90 |
| 2 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 21/02/2026 08:56 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 21/02/2026 08:56 PM | Sub-urban dwellers | 8.70 |
| 3 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 21/02/2026 08:56 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 21/02/2026 08:56 PM | Town/Rural residents | 7.00 |
Urban vs. Rural Divide
Geography is emerging as a stronger predictor of LGBTQ+ identification than race or ethnicity in the U.S.
Gallup data show 10.9% of city residents identify as LGBTQ+, compared with 8.7% in suburbs and 7.0% in towns or rural areas.
That is a 3.9-point gap that outpaces racial differences.
Hispanic adults report 10.7%, Black adults 9.9%, and White adults 8.3%. Lesbian identification follows the same trend: 1.8% in cities, 1.3% in suburbs, and 1.2% in rural areas.
The reason for this is the visibility and comfort in urban centers.
Places like San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles provide legal protections and community infrastructure.
Other states like California and New York outlaw discrimination in employment, housing, and public services, creating safer spaces for open identification.
Rural regions, particularly in the South and Midwest, often have fewer nondiscrimination laws, limited LGBTQ+ centres, and stronger social stigma, according to The Trevor Project.
Political and demographic patterns reinforce this divide.
Urban areas have younger people and Democrats, while rural areas have older people and more conservatives.
The “One in Ten” Threshold
As of 2025, about 9.3% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, nearly tripling the 3.5% share recorded in 2012 when Gallup first began tracking this measure.
This rise largely reflects generational change.
More than one in five adults in Generation Z (those born between the late 1990s and early 2000s) now identify as LGBTQ+, far higher than older age groups.
Bisexual identity is the most commonly reported orientation among LGBTQ+ adults, with bisexual people making up a large majority of those who identify as non-heterosexual.
The Bisexual Majority
The data shows that among the 13,000 U.S adults surveyed, bisexual people accounted for about 58.6% of all LGBTQ+ adults.
Experts link this trend to greater social acceptance and visibility, especially among younger generations.
Younger adults, particularly Gen Z, are far more likely than older adults to identify as LGBTQ+ overall, and bisexual numbers have risen as more people feel comfortable embracing and reporting fluid sexual identities.
On the policy and political front, the broader U.S. landscape remains mixed and frequently contentious.
While same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2015, many cities and states have adopted anti-discrimination protections.
Recent federal actions under the Trump administration’s later tenure have pursued more restrictive policies, particularly affecting transgender rights, military service, and gender-affirming care.
ELI5
Today, one in nine U.S. adults identifies as LGBTQ+, nearly three times more than in 2012. Bisexuality leads, making up over half of the community. The study is based on a nationwide, representative sample of 13,000 adults. So, exactness may be skewed.
Nevertheless, Numbers are highest in cities, lower in rural areas, reflecting where people feel safe, accepted, and supported.
Sources:
Gallup | Pew Research Center | Pewresearch |