🇺🇸 Living in the United States as an LGBTQ+ person

North America · Equaldex Equality Index: 68/100 · Typical annual average 12°C, 6 sun hours/day

How the United States scores across the dimensions ThriveMap measures (0–100, higher is more welcoming). These are baseline scores from public indices. The interactive app personalises them to your profile and priorities and refreshes them with live data.

Racial experience by background

These scores reflect reported social experience per group, compiled from aggregate research (US State Dept. human rights reports, ECRI, FRA). They are generalisations and do not reflect every individual's experience.

LGBTQ+ legal rights: sexual orientation

Same-sex marriage was nationally legalised by the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling in 2015. The Respect for Marriage Act (2022) provides additional federal protection. Federal employment anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ employees were confirmed by Bostock v. Clayton County (2020). However, the political and legal landscape has become highly contested since 2023, state legislatures in Texas, Florida, Alabama, and other Republican-led states have enacted significant restrictions on LGBTQ expression, drag performances, and topics in schools. The US is simultaneously a global leader in LGBTQ culture and a country with active political efforts to restrict LGBTQ rights at state level.

Sources: HRC: Human Rights Campaign US LGBTQ rights · HRC Foundation: State Equality Index · LGBTQ+ rights index: Equaldex · ILGA World: State-Sponsored Homophobia report

LGBTQ+ legal rights: gender identity

Trans rights in the United States are in an active and rapidly evolving political battle, varying dramatically by state. Blue states (California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and others) have strong protections and affirming healthcare access. Red states (Texas, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, and others) have enacted laws banning or severely restricting gender-affirming healthcare for minors, restricting bathroom access, and limiting trans participation in sports. Non-binary gender markers (X) are available on federal documents (passports) and in many states. The situation requires careful state-by-state assessment for anyone considering relocation.

Sources: ACLU: Trans rights tracker by state · National Center for Transgender Equality · TGEU: Trans rights map · ILGA World: Trans legal mapping report

LGBTQ+ social acceptance

The United States has some of the world's most celebrated LGBTQ communities and culture. New York (Christopher Street, West Village, Stonewall Inn, birthplace of modern LGBTQ activism), San Francisco (the Castro, where Harvey Milk was elected), Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Miami, Austin, Denver, Portland, and Seattle all have thriving LGBTQ scenes. National Pride events are major cultural moments. At the same time, large parts of the country, rural areas, the Deep South, much of the Midwest. Have social climates that range from unwelcoming to hostile. Geographic choice within the US matters enormously for LGBTQ quality of life.

Sources: HRC Foundation: State Equality Index · National LGBTQ Task Force · Equaldex: social acceptance data · Pew Research: Global attitudes on homosexuality

Racial experience

Race in the United States is complex, historically deeply embedded, and an ongoing political and social reality. The history of slavery, Jim Crow, Indigenous displacement, and immigration shaped a country with extraordinary diversity alongside significant documented racial inequality. Civil rights laws prohibit racial discrimination, but structural inequality in wealth, healthcare, criminal justice, and housing remains extensively documented. Experiences for people of colour vary enormously by geography, profession, class, and context. Major coastal cities (NYC, LA, Chicago, Seattle, Miami) are genuinely cosmopolitan; some rural and suburban areas have more documented racial tensions.

Sources: EEOC: US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · US Civil Rights Division: DOJ · US State Dept.: Country Human Rights Reports · ENAR: European Network Against Racism

Safety

Safety in the United States varies significantly by location. Gun violence is a serious and distinctive public health concern, the US has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in the world and a rate of mass shootings unparalleled among peer nations. Violent crime rates vary enormously by city and neighbourhood. Natural disaster risk is high and geographically varied: hurricanes (Gulf and Atlantic coasts), tornadoes (Midwest), wildfires (California and the West), earthquakes (California, Pacific Northwest), and severe flooding are all real considerations depending on where one lives.

Sources: Global Peace Index: United States · FBI: Crime Data Explorer · Numbeo: crime index by country

Healthcare

The United States has some of the world's most advanced medical technology and specialist expertise, but also one of the most expensive and inequitable healthcare systems in the developed world. There is no universal public healthcare. Working-age people primarily rely on employer-provided insurance or purchase plans through the ACA (Affordable Care Act) marketplace. Medical costs without insurance are catastrophic. A hospital admission can cost tens of thousands of dollars. For high-earning professionals with employer health insurance, access to top-tier care is excellent. Healthcare cost is a major financial planning consideration for anyone relocating to the US.

Sources: Healthcare.gov: ACA marketplace · Commonwealth Fund: US healthcare international comparison · WHO country health profiles · Numbeo: healthcare quality index

Cost / value

Cost of living in the US varies enormously by state and city. New York City and San Francisco are among the most expensive cities in the world, a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan costs $3,000–5,000/month. States with no state income tax (Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Tennessee) and lower-cost cities (Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta, Phoenix, Raleigh) offer significantly better value. Healthcare and insurance costs substantially affect real disposable income. The US offers high earning potential for skilled professionals, and the combination of salary levels with lower-cost metros can produce excellent purchasing power, but health insurance must always be factored in.

Sources: Numbeo: cost of living in United States · Expatistan: New York cost of living · Numbeo: cost of living by country · Expatistan: cost of living comparison

Visa / residency

The United States has one of the world's most complex immigration systems. Short visits: 42 countries qualify for visa-free ESTA entry for up to 90 days (no paid work permitted). The H-1B visa for specialty occupation workers is the primary skilled worker route, annual cap of 65,000 + 20,000 for US Master's graduates, allocated by lottery, with waiting periods of years for oversubscribed nationalities (India, China). The O-1 visa (extraordinary ability) and L-1 (intracompany transfer) have no caps. There is no dedicated digital nomad visa. Remote workers for foreign employers on tourist status operate in a legal grey area. Green Card waiting times range from years to decades depending on nationality and category.

Sources: USCIS: US Citizenship and Immigration Services · Expatica: US visa guide · Visaguide.world: visa & residency guide · Nomad List: visa & legal info

Climate

The United States offers virtually every climate type within its borders. California's Pacific coast (Los Angeles, San Diego) has a warm Mediterranean climate, mild year-round, dry summers, wet winters. San Francisco is cooler and foggier. The Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Portland) is maritime grey and wet. The Mountain West (Denver, Salt Lake City) has dry continental climate with cold winters and warm, sunny summers. The Midwest (Chicago) has severe continental extremes, brutal winters, hot summers. The Southeast (Florida, Georgia) is subtropical with humid summers and hurricane risk. Texas is hot and vast. New York has a classic four-season climate. The Southwest (Phoenix, Tucson) is desert, extreme summer heat (40–45°C) and mild winters.

Sources: NOAA: US National Weather Service · Climate Central: US climate overview · World Weather Online

ThriveMap is a starting point, not a guarantee. Laws and social conditions change. Always verify current conditions through the linked sources before travelling or relocating.