California, the most populous state in the nation, is home to the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population—2.8 million people. Texas is second, on both counts, with an LGBTQ+ population of 1.8 million. These numbers are based on the Household Pulse Survey, an initiative of the US Census, which was conducted from February through April this year.

California’s share of adults who identify as LGBTQ+ (9.5%) is higher than the share in the rest of the nation (8.3%). It is also higher than that of any other highly populated state. Among the ten most populated states, Ohio is second (9.4%) and Georgia is third (9.2%); North Carolina has the lowest share (7.4%). Among all states, Vermont (11.9%) and Oregon (11.7%) have the highest LGBTQ+ share, while Mississippi has the lowest (5.1%).

California’s LGBTQ+ community includes a broad range of identities, not all of which are captured in the census data. According to this data, over half (52%) of LGBTQ+ adults in California describe themselves as bisexual, 42% describe themselves as gay or lesbian, and 6% as transgender. Far more men identify as gay (778,000) than women as lesbian (374,000). In contrast, over twice as many women (1,039,000) as men (405,000) describe themselves as bisexual.

Younger adults are much more likely than older adults to identify as LGBTQ+. One in five young adults in California identifies as LGBTQ+, compared to only one in twenty older adults. Among LGBTQ+ young adults, the vast majority (72%) describe themselves as bisexual. In contrast, older LGBTQ+ adults in California are more likely to identify as gay or lesbian (69%).

The LGBTQ+ population of California largely reflects the overall racial and ethnic diversity of the state’s adult population. In the general population no single racial/ethnic group constitutes a majority, with Latino and white adults making up the largest groups. Within the LGBTQ+ population, gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults follow this pattern. Transgender adults are more likely than others to identify as white.

In general, LGBTQ+ adults age 25 and over are more highly educated than other adults. Gay and lesbian as well as bisexual adults are more likely to have a bachelor’s or graduate degree than other Californians, but transgender adults are less likely to be college grads.

The Census Bureau first began asking questions about gender identity and sexual orientation in 2021. Given that one of the primary missions of the Census Bureau is to develop a factual demographic, social, and economic understanding of the United States, the addition of these questions marks an important step toward a more comprehensive profile of the American population. Whether the bureau adopts these questions for its much more detailed American Community Survey and the next decennial census in 2030 remains to be seen. In the meantime, PPIC will continue to monitor and report findings on California’s diverse population.

An earlier version of this post was published on June 28, 2022.