LGBTQ+ Adults Now 12% of Population In USA

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has released updated population estimates showing that a record-high 12% of U.S. adults—roughly 25.6 million people—identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender diverse . This landmark analysis, drawn from more than 2.4 million responses to the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey collected between 2021 and 2024, represents one of the most comprehensive looks at the LGBTQ+ population to date . The findings come at a critical moment, as the Trump administration has removed sexual orientation and gender identity questions from approximately 360 federal data collections, making this survey one of the last major federal data sources to include such measures .

Key Findings: A Growing and Diverse Community

Demographic Breakdown

The HRC Foundation's analysis reveals significant demographic shifts. More than half of all LGBTQ+ adults (53.8%) are between the ages of 18 and 34, signaling sustained, long-term growth in political and economic power as this generation ages into peak spending and voting years . Among 18- to 24-year-olds, nearly 32% identify as LGBTQ+ .

Bisexual adults constitute over 7% of all U.S. adults, making them the largest subgroup within the LGBTQ+ community. Approximately 3.27% of U.S. adults identify as lesbian or gay . A major finding from the study is that 2.34% of U.S. adults are transgender or non-binary—double previous estimates for the U.S. transgender population .

The analysis also highlights growing diversity across the community. Hispanic adults make up a larger share of the LGBTQ+ population (18%) than of non-LGBTQ+ adults (13%), while Black adults represent about 9% of the LGBTQ+ population compared to 12% of non-LGBTQ+ adults .

Geographic Distribution: 40 States Above 10%

Contrary to the perception that LGBTQ+ Americans are concentrated primarily in progressive cities, the analysis found that LGBTQ+ adults make up more than 10% of the population in 40 of the country's 50 states, plus the District of Columbia . This includes electoral battleground states such as Arizona (13.34%), Georgia (11.46%), Michigan (10.95%), New Hampshire (11.88%), North Carolina (10.56%), Ohio (11.29%), Pennsylvania (11.14%), and Texas (12.54%) .

For Texas, this translates to approximately 2.24 million LGBTQ+ adults, making the Lone Star State one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in the country . The Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas rank among the top 15 most populous regions for LGBTQ+ people .

Comparison with Gallup Data

The HRC's estimate of 12% is notably higher than Gallup's most recent 9% figure, a gap that researchers attribute to differences in survey methods rather than a sudden shift in identification . Gallup's estimate was based on telephone interviews with more than 13,000 adults conducted during 2025, while the HRC analysis used more than 2.4 million responses collected through the Census Bureau's online Household Pulse Survey between 2021 and 2024 .

HRC's report notes that "reporting of socially sensitive characteristics can vary by mode because respondents may experience different levels of privacy and interviewer presence" . Self-administered online surveys may offer greater privacy on sensitive questions, which can contribute to higher disclosure rates .

Despite the difference, both estimates found similar trends: greater LGBTQ+ identification among younger age groups, bisexuals as the most populous subgroup, and steadily increasing LGBTQ+ identity over time . Gallup's tracking shows that LGBTQ+ identification has grown from just 3.5% in 2012 to 9% in 2025 .

Political and Economic Implications

A Powerful Voting Bloc

The new population figures come as the 2026 midterm elections ramp up across the nation, and LGBTQ+ people represent a deciding voting bloc for many tight races that will determine control of Congress . HRC President Kelley Robinson emphasized the community's growing influence: "LGBTQ+ Americans are everywhere. There are 25 million of us across the country, and we now have critical mass in almost every state in the nation. We're not a niche constituency, and no campaign, brand, or employer can afford to treat us like one" .

Economic Power

The economic influence of the LGBTQ+ community continues to grow at a time when diversity and inclusion initiatives are under federal attack. A recent HRC Foundation consumer report showed LGBTQ+ consumers wield over $1.4 trillion in spending power, with 7 in 10 already putting it behind companies that invest in inclusive policies and practices .

Federal Data Collection Rollback Raises Concerns

The findings arrive amid growing concern about the Trump administration's removal of sexual orientation and gender identity questions from federal surveys . Since January 2025, approximately 360 federal data collections have removed at least one measure relating to sexual orientation or gender identity .

Tari Hanneman, HRC Foundation Senior Director of Research and Education, warned that this decision "introduces significant gaps" in the country's understanding of itself . "Reliable data are essential for understanding who lives in this country and what our communities need to thrive," she said. "These findings show that LGBTQ+ people are a substantial and growing segment of the population, underscoring the need for our continued inclusion in data collection efforts" .

HRC noted that there isn't a "definitive count" of LGBTQ+ adults. Like all such research, the difficulty of perfectly counting a specific group of people approaches impossibility . It will likely be years before another estimate can be conducted with a sample size comparable to the one used by the HRC .

Conclusion: Visibility and Connection Matter

The analysis challenges persistent assumptions about LGBTQ+ Americans and reinforces that queer and trans people live in every kind of community across the country . The findings also come as support for transgender equality remains broad. A February 2026 survey conducted for the HRC Foundation found that 41% of U.S. adults say they know someone who is transgender, and large majorities support equal rights and protections for transgender Americans (85%), equal access to healthcare (89%), workplace protections (79%), and protections for transgender students (83%) .

As HRC President Kelley Robinson noted, removing LGBTQ+ people from federal data does not make communities disappear—it makes them harder to see, understand, and serve . With 25.6 million LGBTQ+ adults living across every part of the country, they are "far from niche" .