Where does your state rank for LGBTQ+ acceptance?

LGBTQ+ acceptance is hard to quantify, but Out Leadership has found a tried and true way. Every year, the LGBTQ+ business advocacy group analyzes each state in America for its acceptance of gay and trans folks for its State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index, and this year’s list is hot off the presses.

The index gives up to 20 points to each state in five categories: Legal and Nondiscrimination Protections, Youth and Family Support, Political and Religious Attitudes, Health Access and Safety, and Work Environment and Employment, all of which Out Leadership’s judges based on a state’s anti- or pro-LGBTQ+ legislation and policies, among other factors. Combining those points gives each state a score between 25 and 100 points, with a higher score meaning better conditions for LGBTQ+ folks.

Topping the list in 2024 are New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, while Arkansas received the lowest score in the index’s six-year history. The average score for all 50 states decreased for the second year in a row, with an overall score of 62.77 out of 100 in 2024, down from 63.48 in 2023 and 64.61 in 2022.

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Though America’s average score decreased, some states did see improvement. Michigan had the greatest score increase with 4.87 points, followed by Georgia with 3 and Oregon with 2.25. On the other end of the spectrum, North Carolina saw the biggest drop in points with 6.3, followed by Kansas with 6 and Indiana with 5.6.

A statement on Out Leadership’s website breaks down the index’s implications. “As we enter an election year, the political and cultural environment in the United States has become increasingly polarized with LGBTQ+-friendly states becoming increasingly inclusive while the worst states for equality become evermore hostile to equality and freedom,” reads the website. “There is no more room for neutrality. Now more than ever, businesses need to leverage their economic power to propel LGBTQ+ equality forward in the states in which they conduct business.”

Check out the ranking of all 50 states below.

1. New York: 93.67
2. Connecticut: 93.27
3. Massachusetts: 92.0
4. New Jersey: 90.0
5. Vermont: 89.5
6. Colorado: 88.67
7. Maine: 88.67
8. Illinois: 88.47
9. Minnesota: 88.33
10. Oregon: 87.0
11. California: 86.67
12. Washington: 85.83
13. New Mexico: 85.77
14. Rhode Island: 85.7
15. Maryland: 82.83
16. Hawaii: 82.67
17. Virginia: 81.67
18. Nevada: 79.67
19. New Hampshire: 78.33
20. Michigan: 78.07
21. Delaware: 72.43
22. Wisconsin: 67.47
23. Pennsylvania: 66.27
24. Arizona: 59.88
25. Alaska: 58.0
26. North Dakota: 55.22
27. Utah: 53.5
28. North Carolina: 52.55
29. Georgia: 52.4
30. Kansas: 52.3
31. Nebraska: 51.9
32. Ohio: 50.35
33. West Virginia: 49.9
34. Iowa: 49.6
35. Wyoming: 48.57
36. Missouri: 46.1
37. Florida: 45.2
38. Texas: 44.7
39. Idaho: 44.07
40. Montana: 43.37
41. Indiana: 42.67
42. Kentucky: 39.5
43. Alabama: 37.9
44. Mississippi: 35.27
45. South Dakota: 34.8
46. Tennessee: 34.0
47. Oklahoma: 33.37
48. South Carolina: 31.9
49. Louisiana: 31.5
50. Arkansas: 27.0

Read the full Out Leadership State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index here.

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