10 gay communities where home prices are spiking
As the housing market continues to recover, gay neighborhoods are leading the charge.
In 2012, it would have cost homebuyers nearly 30 percent more to live in neighborhoods with a large number of gay, lesbian and bisexual residents. Now, it will run almost 37 percent more to live in those same areas.
In honor of Pride Month, Trulia partnered with OKCupid to track the rising -- and falling -- demand for gay communities across the country since 2012. They did this by calculating a "Pride Score." That's the percentage of OKCupid users searching for same-sex partners plus the percentage of same-sex households, according to Census data, for ZIP codes in each U.S. metro area. Trulia then calculated the median values per square foot of homes for sale in those neighborhoods in both 2012 and 2017 to see how they changed over time and relative to their metro areas.
According to the study, many predominantly gay neighborhoods have recovered more quickly than other neighborhoods.
"This is the big puzzle of the whole story," said Ralph McLaughlin, Trulia's chief economist.
"The leading hypothesis is that since 'Pride' individuals and couples tend to have fewer children and higher disposable incomes, they might seek out neighborhoods that are on the upswing."
Many of the more notable gay-friendly cities -- Miami and San Francisco, for example -- actually saw declining home values in gay neighborhoods between 2012 and 2017. These are cities with long-established gay neighborhoods where, over time, the housing market might have been able to calibrate. These declines in value, relative to their metro areas, might be a sign of a healthier housing market overall.
"The rest of the market catches up," McLaughlin said.
Click ahead to see 10 cities with thriving gay communities where housing demand (and pride) is on the rise.
New York, New York
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $659
Gay neighborhoods in New York saw the biggest spike from Trulia's 2012 data to the data collected in 2017. In 2012, it would have cost an average 106 percent premium to live in a gay neighborhood than other places in New York. As of 2017, that premium has risen 56 percentage points to an average 162 percent premium.
The 10011 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in New York at 0.45. This ZIP code covers most of the Chelsea area in Manhattan. Chelsea is home to numerous art galleries and theaters as well as the High Line, a public park built on an old train line 30 feet above street level.
New Orleans, Louisiana
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $290
In 2012, it would have cost an average 99 percent premium to live in one of New Orleans' gay neighborhoods, compared to other parts of the city. As of 2017, that premium has risen 52 percentage points to an average 151 percent premium.
The 70116 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in New Orleans at 0.47. This ZIP code covers parts of both the French Quarter and Treme neighborhoods. The French Quarter is New Orleans' oldest neighborhood, known for tourist stops like Bourbon Street and beautiful historic homes.
Boston, Massachusetts
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $557
In 2012, it would have cost an average 79 percent premium to live in a gay neighborhood of Boston rather than other parts of the city. As of 2017, that premium has risen 27 percentage points to an average 105 percent premium.
The 02130 ZIP code ranked the highest Pride Score in Boston at 0.49. This ZIP code covers nearly all of Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, which is known for its outdoor spaces (like the Arnold Arboretum and Jamaica Pond) and its hip restaurant and shopping scene.
Louisville, Kentucky
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $121
In 2012, it would actually have been slightly less expensive (by about 2 percent) to live in a gay neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, compared to other areas of the city. As of 2017, however, buying in a gay area comes with an average 16 percent premium relative to other neighborhoods in Louisville.
The 40208 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in the city at 0.33. This ZIP code is adjacent to two of Louisville's major universities: Spalding University to the north and the University of Louisville to the south.
Charlotte, North Carolina
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $145
In 2012, it would have cost an average 26 percent premium to live in a gay neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, rather than another part of the city. As of 2017, that premium has risen 15 percentage points to an average 41 percent premium.
The 28205 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in Charlotte at 0.25, and includes parts of the Plaza Midwood and NoDa (North Davidson) neighborhoods. Both of these neighborhoods are home to many art galleries, eclectic restaurants and craft breweries.
Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Massachusetts
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $368
Cambridge-Newton-Framingham is a metropolitan division in greater Boston. In 2012, it would have cost an average 24 percent premium to live in a gay neighborhood in this area rather than another part of the city. As of 2017, that premium has risen 14 percentage points to an average 38 percent premium.
At 0.31, the 02138 ZIP code had the highest Pride score in the Cambridge-Newton-Framingham area. This ZIP code covers an area with Harvard University to the east and the Charles River to the south.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $173
In 2012, it would have cost an average 45 percent premium to live in a gay neighborhood rather than another part of Philadelphia. As of 2017, that premium has risen 13 percentage points to an average 58 percent premium.
The 19143 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in Philadelphia at 0.45, and covers parts of Kingsessing and Cobbs Creek, located just to the southwest of the University of Pennsylvania.
Nashville, Tennessee
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $166
In 2012, it would have cost an average 20 percent premium to live in one of Nashville's gay neighborhoods compared to other parts of the city. As of 2017, that premium has risen 13 percentage points to an average 33 percent premium.
The 37206 ZIP code had the highest Pride score in Nashville, at 0.26. East Nashville takes up a good portion of this ZIP code and has attracted many musicians and visual artists.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $115
In 2012, it would have cost just an average 1 percent premium to live in a gay neighborhood of Pittsburgh rather than in other parts of the city. As of 2017, that premium has risen to an average 13 percent premium.
The 15224 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in the city, at 0.32. Pittsburgh is home to several colleges and universities, including Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, both only a few miles south of this region.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
2017 gay neighborhood home value per square foot: $103
In 2012, it was about 18 percent less expensive to live in one of Grand Rapids' gay neighborhoods rather than other parts of the city. As of 2017, it's still less expensive to live in one of these neighborhoods. However, the average "premium" has risen 9 percentage points, according to Trulia, making it only about 9 percent less expensive to live in a gay neighborhood of this city.
While the 49503 ZIP code had the highest Pride Score in Grand Rapids, at 0.27, other ZIP codes in the city didn't trail far behind. The lowest recorded Pride score was 0.18 for ZIP code 49506. The four ZIP codes Trulia included in its report cover much of downtown and east Grand Rapids. The metro is known as "Beer City," with more than 60 breweries calling the area home.