Study finds that Nevada is the safest state for LGBTQ residents

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According to the 2026 LGBTQ+ State Safety Report Cards, Nevada earned the study’s only “A+” rating and scored nearly a full point over the second-highest-scoring state.

The study was done by safehome.org by evaluating all 50 states using factors such as hate crime protections, anti-discrimination laws, healthcare access, legal protections, and reported hate crime data.

The hate crime score is based on FBI Uniform Crime Report data on anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes in each state. The study showed that the total number of hate crimes reported in the latest data did decline slightly from the prior year, but that number was still over 2,500 incidents in one year.

Overall, 13 states recieved “A” grades, while six earned a failing “F” grade.

The states that scored the highest out of 100 points in the study were Nevada (95.8), Illinois (94.9), Hawaii (94.7), Colorado (94.5), and Maine (94.4).

Nevada was in the top 10 states nationally for both legal protections and hate crime data, the study found. The state also had perfect or nearly perfect scores in several pro-equality law categories, including non-discrimination, parenting rights, youth protections, and healthcare access.

In 2022, Nevada voters amended the state constitution to enshrine protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Later, in 2025, a Nevada bill that would have restricted transgender athletes in school sports died in committee.

Additionally, in 2025, the state recognized Las Vegas’ historic “Fruit Loop” district as an official landmark.

West Virginia (44.7) scored the lowest out of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., followed by D.C. (50.8), Louisiana (51.4), Arkansas (56.7), and Tennessee (56.9).

The study found that 28 percent of LGBTQ Americans have considered moving across state lines in search of better legal protection and safety.