Austin is one of the most rapidly growing cities in the country, but many residents hope to preserve its quirky and artsy culture with the motto, “Keep Austin Weird.” Winters are mild, but summers are very hot and often humid. Austin, TexasĪustin is a diverse, liberal oasis in an otherwise politically conservative state.Austin is famous for its live music scene, with more music venues per capita than any other U.S. Several neighborhoods, such as Midtown and Avondale Estates, have numerous businesses that serve the LGBTQ community. Most areas of the Deep South aren’t particularly welcoming of LGBTQ people, but Atlanta and neighboring DeKalb County offer a cosmopolitan environment with plenty of art, music and culture. If you love the mountains and milder weather, Asheville is worth a look. Asheville, North CarolinaĪsheville is artsy, progressive, scenic and one of the most gay-friendly cities in the southeast. Here are 24 large, small and medium-sized cities that offer an excellent combination of affordability, culture, community and LGBTQ friendliness. But if you prefer the more relaxed pace of small-town living and still hope to find an inclusive and welcoming community with a fun, artsy ambiance, there are several smaller LGBTQ-friendly towns with big personalities that are worth your consideration. In addition to considerations such as low cost of living and low taxes, LGBTQ people tend to value cities with strong LGBTQ communities, higher levels of acceptance and the presence of non-discrimination laws.įor LGBTQ retirees, larger cities usually have the most to offer and provide more options for medical care and senior support services than smaller or medium-sized ones. Those include how tolerant an area is, the presence of a gay community, and health care providers that are welcoming towards LGBTQ people. However, LGBTQ people have a few additional factors to consider. When it comes to choosing a place to live during retirement, LGBTQ people want the same things that everyone else wants - safety, reasonable prices, agreeable climate, cultural and recreational amenities and good health care. The following is an excerpt from his book's chapter on Best Cities for LGBTQ Retirees.) He lives with his husband in a Phoenix suburb. Hughes, a 2017 Next Avenue Influencer in Aging who retired at 56, writes the blog and is an authority on retirement lifestyle planning. Cities for LGBTQ Retirees, which includes some places that may surprise you.

In a special section for LGBTQ people, Hughes has compiled The Best U.S. Dave Hughes' new book, The Quest for Retirement Utopia, will help you clarify which criteria are most important to you in deciding where to retire and provide resources to help find the spot that's right for you. ( It seems like every few weeks or so, someone publishes a new list of The Best Places to Retire.

The woman who breathed two worlds