A new study shows that LGBT retirees find a lot to love about Houston.

The housing referral service SeniorAdvice.com commissioned the report which looked at four major categories: health and safety, recreation and leisure, finances, and general quality of life. The group evaluated more than 100 variables, including access to healthcare, quality and availability of senior living services, social amenities, tax rates and weather. They dubbed it SeniorScore and Houston ranked 15th in the nation.

Here are a few of the top reasons why according to SeniorScore!

Diversity

Houston has been called "the most diverse city in America" by multiple publications due to the high number of ethnic minorities and immigrants who have migrated there over the past two decades.  Additionally, nearly 4% of the Houston population now identify as LGBTQ.

Prosperity

In 2015, Houston had the greatest growth of any urban area in the United States (159,000 new residents).  It has also seen numerous companies relocate to the metro area.  And while the economy has suffered recently under the weight of falling energy prices, the unemployment rate is still well below the national average.

Support

Houston is home to the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which helps support and promote LGBT-owned businesses.  Also, the Gay and Lesbian Yellow Pages list hundreds of gay and lesbian owned businesses in Houston, as does the locally-run HoustonHomo.com.

Affordability

Houston is one of the most affordable large cities in the country, due to low home prices and lack of state income tax.  It also ranked 24th (near the bottom) of large cities in consumer price index, well below the national average.

The report suggested that Houston still has work to do when it comes to a number of basic legal protections for the LGBTQ community.  Nevertheless, it is an impressively gay-friendly city, boasting a cultural center for the community in Montrose; an LGBT-specific chamber of commerce; a massively successful Pride; and a plethora of gay and gay-friendly bars and other businesses. 

There’s no doubt that the LGBTQ community has to be especially selective when it comes to deciding where to reside. Even today, it is near impossible to live openly in far too many places across the US. Couple that with the unique requirements of the retirement years, finding a place to call home can be even trickier.

There’s no place like home. And when it comes to the unique health, financial, and social wants and needs of the older LGBTQ set, there’s no place like Houston.  

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