Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well I am from New York, and have come down with a rare allergy to cold; dont lol...I know it sounds crazy but it is a condition. So I may have to drop my life and business in the blink of an eye this year - with marginal savings under my belt. I am currently single and no kids, looking for a bargain in a gay friendly neighborhood where I can settle down. My rent in New York is just under $850 for a very nice one bedroom in a very nice area, and I am hoping to find cheaper (things are not looking good though), considering it may take 6-12 months to get back on my feet, re-establish a business and my income and make a social circle of some sorts. I am not looking to get to the clubs and bars every week ( I dont drink and I am 35 yrs old), though its nice to know if they are not that far away. Same goes for the beach; if Im gonna move to the sunshine state, then I would love to be near the water. I would also like an area where I can access a food coop, organic markets and grass fed meats, etc.....no I am not rich, but for health reasons. I know it seems like I am asking for alot, but I am throwing it all out there in hopes I can get pointed in the right direction to seek my first Florida apartment. I am currently in the home inspection industry - representing property buyers independantly, so an area with thriving condo or home sales might be worth it if I can generate a faster or better income - keep in mind I prefer to actually leave this trade, but perhaps I can try to sell some real estate in this terrific market. also I am quite tired of the 10million or so people that New York has, along with the completely unbearable traffic, but I do not want to move to a deserted town either; I loved a recent visit to south beach, but I dont think it is a good place to live year round and it seems pricey as well.
Florida unemployment in July was officially 11.5-12% (not including those not actively seeking work, retirees who have lost their savings, etc). As you might have heard, our real estate/construction industry is in the toilet with some signs of not getting too much worse but with no clear signs of recovery.
It did fare better than much of the country in the July survey of houses sold. While the nation dropped 27% year over year; Florida did only half as bad with sales dropping about 14% overall: Orlando falling 3%; Tampa down 19%; Broward (Ft Laud) down 21%; Miami down 8% (single family) up 43% (condos); Jacksonville down 5%. This is not because we are in good shape, however, only that we already fell farther & faster than much of the rest of the country.
We had been flooded with realtors during the boom and many of them have been laid off since. Our high unemployment number also reflects how reliant we were upon the construction industry which goes through boom and bust cycles normally, though this boom & bust was crazier, obviously, than even Florida's regular rollercoaster rides. So you'll have some competition in both sales and inspections, including, I'd imagine, even professional engineers who no longer have new builds to keep them busy.
Any major or even minor city in Florida will be gay-friendly enough to make you mostly if not very comfortable. Outside metropolitan areas here, as elsewhere in this country, is more oppressive living. The largest concentrated gay populations, in near order include greater Fort Lauderdale (particularly Wilton Manors); Miami Beach; Key West; greater West Palm Beach; Tampa; Orlando; Jacksonville; Daytona Beach; Gainesville; but also you'll probably find a bar or two in Sarasota, Fort Myers, Pensacola, Tallahassee and other less rural towns.
The most expensive of these with the least job opportunities is Key West. The next most expensive is south Florida which consists of Palm Beach (WPB), Broward (Ft Laud) and Miami-Dade. As of 2008 when I did a survey to begin reducing my cost of living I found that, starting with Fort Lauderdale as my base (& probably the most fun place to be gay in your 30s & 40s): (shown as city % less expensive then FtL) Sarasota 11.3%; Panama City (to where spring break has relocated) 12.9%; Fort Myers 15%; Tampa 23.4%; Orlando 21%; either Talla or Jax 25%; either Daytona or G-ville 26.6%; Pensacola 30%.
Weatherwise, the frost line runs about through Lake Okeechobee. So south Florida is your best bet on that but not for price. For price and weather, Naples/Fort Myers is your best bet though not a great gay life and you can do better on price. For weather you probably don't want to be much further north than the I-4 line (Daytona/Tampa/Orlando) though even there you might have a few oddly cold weeks every couple of years or up to every other decade or so.
I looked at all the criteria you are looking at (job opportunities, reasonable cost of living, gay life) when relocating from downtown Fort Lauderdale and decided on the Tampa bay region. In my 50s now, I felt no need to be downtown so I'm 20 minutes away from the playground, within easy reach for when I want it. Also I've got one local bar to which I've only been once in my year here, but nice to know it's there.
If I was single and gay at 35 with no kids I'd probably look at south Tampa or St. Pete near their downtowns; G-ville; Orlando or Daytona Beach. Then out of those, I don't know but I would imagine your best job opportunies might be Tampa or Orlando, not that percentages play out any better but populations there are larger so if anything sells at least there'd be more to sell. Your only problem with this area might be traffic. I've seen it pretty bad on 275 though as I'm rarely in rush hour it doesn't seem too bad to me. Your mileage may differ.
For living near the water, cross off Orlando and G-ville. south Tampa is near water but still a drive to the gulf's beaches. St. Pete might be your best bet on that, though downtown on the bay is still a drive to the beach. For the lowest cost living directly on the beach in a gay-enough friendly area but perhaps with more limited job opportunities then I'd pick Daytona Beach.
Daytona Beach is not what I would consider "gay friendly...."
Unfortunately, those places that ARE tend to be more of the expensive places to live. With that in mind, research Lake Worth (the largest gay and lesbian community center in the SE US, Compass, is located there, and they have a transsexual city manager). There's also Wilton Manors, which is like gay male central, in Broward County.
College Park in Orlando. It has every single thing you're looking for.
Orlando has one of the highest percentages of gay populations in the nation, I think its like 8th by numbers but 3rd by percentage. I don't remember exactly and don't feel like looking it up, but its up there.
https://www.city-data.com/city/Wilton...s-Florida.html
#2 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households)"
Lesbian couples: 0.7% of all households
Gay men: 4.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-L...e-Florida.html
#3 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 1.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Miami-Beach-Florida.html
#4 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households
Gay men: 1.3% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Atlanta-Georgia.html
#5 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.5% of all households
Gay men: 1.2% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/West-P...h-Florida.html
#11 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households
Gay men: 0.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Orlando-Florida.html
#8 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 0.8% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Key-West-Florida.html
#11 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households)"
Lesbian couples: 0.7% of all households
Gay men: 2.4% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Sarasota-Florida.html
#14 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households
Gay men: 0.6% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Tampa-Florida.html
#18 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 0.6% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/St.-Pe...g-Florida.html
#31 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 0.5% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Lake-Worth-Florida.html
#48 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 5,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.6% of all households
Gay men: 0.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Wilton...s-Florida.html
#2 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households)"
Lesbian couples: 0.7% of all households
Gay men: 4.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-L...e-Florida.html
#3 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 1.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Miami-Beach-Florida.html
#4 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households
Gay men: 1.3% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Atlanta-Georgia.html
#5 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.5% of all households
Gay men: 1.2% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/West-P...h-Florida.html
#11 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households
Gay men: 0.7% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Orlando-Florida.html
#8 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 0.8% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Key-West-Florida.html
#11 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households)"
Lesbian couples: 0.7% of all households
Gay men: 2.4% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Sarasota-Florida.html
#14 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households
Gay men: 0.6% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Tampa-Florida.html
#18 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 0.6% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/St.-Pe...g-Florida.html
#31 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 50,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.4% of all households
Gay men: 0.5% of all households
https://www.city-data.com/city/Lake-Worth-Florida.html
#48 on the list of "Top 101 cities with the largest percentage of likely gay men couples (counted as self-reported male-male unmarried-partner households) (population 5,000+)"
Lesbian couples: 0.6% of all households
Gay men: 0.7% of all households
Point also being (to the Daytona dissor) that it doesn't take a huge gay population to make an area gay friendly. In fact, a huge gay population might just make it gay catty. I spent some time in Daytona while considering relocating from Lauderdale (though deciding on Tampa Bay area instead) and found it to be a very live and let live kind of place. They've even a long-established gay bar right on AIA, in the bldg where Nascar began. They have another on the main drag of downtown, right by the marina. Hardly back alley entrances to gay fun. And it wasn't too long ago when gay life in Lauderdale was relegated to the dark side of Broward Blvd (Tacky's?), or the waterfront before it redeveloped (Backstreet). So not gay friendly? Pulease. Daytona only hosts the bikers' ball every year. What are they, judgemental right wingers in leather drag?
Last edited by housingcrashsurvivor; 08-25-2010 at 08:10 PM..
CITY
Rank City Percentage
of City
Population GLB Population
population rank
1 San Francisco 15.4% 94,234 4
2 Seattle 12.9% 57,993 9
3 Atlanta 12.8% 39,805 12
4 Minneapolis 12.5% 34,295 16
5 Boston 12.3% 50,540 10
6 Sacramento 9.8% 32,108 20
7 Portland 8.8% 35,413 14
8 Denver 8.2% 33,698 17
9 Washington 8.1% 32,599 18
10 Orlando 7.7% 12,508 36
------
METRO
Rank Metro Area Percentage
of Metro
Population GLB Population
population rank
1 San Francisco 8.2% 256,313 4
2 Seattle 6.5% 154,835 11
3 Boston 6.2% 201,344 5
4 Portland 6.1% 94,027 21
5 Tampa 5.9% 119,044 16
6 Austin 5.9% 61,732 29
7 Denver 5.8% 99,027 19
8 Minneapolis 5.7% 130,472 15
9 Orlando 5.7% 81,272 24
10 Hartford 5.6% 49,000 33
----
STATE
Rank Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area GLB GLB%
population
1 New York City – Northern New Jersey – Long Island, New York 568,903 2.6%
2 Los Angeles – Long Beach, California – Santa Ana, California 442,211 2.7%
3 Chicago–Naperville–Joliet, Illinois 288,478 3.1%
4 San Francisco – Oakland – Fremont, California 256,313 3.6%
5 Boston – Cambridge, Massachusetts – Quincy, Massachusetts 201,344 3.4%
6 Washington Metropolitan Area 191,959 2.5%
7 Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, Texas 183,718 3.5%
8 Miami – Miami Beach – Fort Lauderdale 183,346 4.7%
9 Atlanta – Marietta, Georgia – Sandy Springs, Georgia 180,168 4.3%
10 Philadelphia – Camden, New Jersey – Wilmington, Delaware 179,459 2.8%
Perhaps the difference is City-Data states explicitly gay male couples and the Wikipedia listing is LBGT. It might just be that Wikipedia may only contain major cities.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
also I am quite tired of the 10million or so people that New York has, along with the completely unbearable traffic, but I do not want to move to a deserted town either; I loved a recent visit to south beach, but I dont think it is a good place to live year round and it seems pricey as well.
