The Best LGBTQIA+ Retirement Destinations To Travel In 2026
Planning where to retire is complicated enough. For LGBTQIA+ people, it comes with extra considerations: legal protections, healthcare that actually understands your needs, and a community where you feel at home rather than on guard. Writer Frank Rizzo over at Showriz put together a thorough look at the options available right now, and it’s worth your attention.
Why where you retire matters more than ever
According to a 2024 Gallup poll, nearly 10 per cent of the US population identifies as LGBTQIA+, with more than three million adults aged 55 and over. SAGE (Services and Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Elders), the nation’s oldest and largest organisation supporting older LGBTQIA+ people, projects that number will more than double within five years.
An AARP survey found that 41 per cent of older LGBTQIA+ adults worry about concealing their identity to avoid housing discrimination. Among trans and nonbinary respondents, that figure rises to 58 per cent. These numbers explain why purpose-built LGBTQIA+ retirement communities are gaining real momentum.
Palm Springs is leading the way
Living Out (livingout.com) in Palm Springs is arguably the standout example right now. Set on a 3.6-hectare site against the San Jacinto Mountains, the complex offers 122 rental apartments for LGBTQIA+ adults aged 55 and over. There is a pool, gym, bocce courts, urgent care centre and the on-site restaurant Alice B.’s, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. In under two years, it is nearly at capacity.
Developer Loren S. Ostrow, also a board member at SAGE, was direct about the motivation. “It was obvious that as our community aged we needed our own place,” he says. “Many existing senior living [complexes] were not always welcoming.”
Palm Springs also has Stonewall Gardens, a separate assisted living complex, and holds the highest per-capita LGBTQIA+ year-round population in the US.
Top states and cities to consider
According to Retirement Living, the most inclusive US states include California, Oregon, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The major cities with well-established LGBTQIA+ communities are New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington DC, though the cost of living is steep across all four. More affordable alternatives with strong LGBTQIA+ communities include Asheville (North Carolina), Santa Fe (New Mexico), Denver (Colorado) and Portland (Oregon).
Going international
The US ranks 23rd out of 136 countries for LGBTQIA+ legal rights, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA. That ranking has a growing number of people looking elsewhere.
Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada consistently rate among the most accepting countries. Portugal has become a genuine favourite for retirees. Rich Costabile, 78, moved with his husband Randall Wilcox to Tavira in the Algarve four years ago. “Protection for same-sex marriage has been in Portugal’s constitution since 2010,” he says. The region also has the EA Rainbow Club, with 400 LGBTQIA+ members, friends and allies who meet monthly.
Buenos Aires is worth serious consideration too. Journalist Henry Scott, who lives there, describes a city with dedicated LGBTQIA+ venues, free HIV health services, an annual Pride event drawing hundreds of thousands and a dedicated LGBTQIA+ retirement centre called Puerta Abierta.
For comprehensive guidance on LGBTQIA+ retirement options both domestically and internationally, Where Do Gays Retire is a solid place to start.
