Zillow Analysis Shows the LGBT Community Pays More to Stay Safe

Though society has made great strides in civil rights across the globe within the last decades, there are still groups that face discrimination and inequality. These can be as obvious as the social unrest in the US today with nation-and worldwide- protests against police brutality, or as subtle as extra fees to ensure a person is not discriminated against when buying a home. 

LGBT homebuyers and rents face a different kind of beast when it comes to searching for a new home. Though the US Supreme Court has announced its unconstitutional to fire someone for being part of the LGBT community, those within that community still must pay premiums to ensure their own safety when it comes to buying and renting property. 

That means that areas where legal protection against discrimination in real estate are more expensive than states, cities, or counties that do not offer legal protection for LGTB buyers and rents.

Zillow has gathered and analyzed research on the average cost of buying a home in such states, cities, and counties for LGBT individuals. These legal protection services include eviction safeguards, being denied housing, or being refused the ability to rent or buy housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Something that straight individuals don’t have to consider when they are beginning their home hunting. 

Zillow found that home value in these areas averages about $127,000 more than homes in places without these laws. 

The two states with the highest premiums based on these protection laws are Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and California, where home values average over 100% compared to other states (Hawaii with 219%, Washington, D.C. with 218%, and California with 187%). 

In order to live in one of these discrimination protection areas, those in the LGBT community take great steps to be able to afford the extra fees. In fact, Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report showed more than 70% of LGBT buyers said they made at least one sacrifice to stay at or below budget. This is compared to 58% of cisgender heterosexual buyers. These sacrifices include buying a home in poor condition, one without desired furnishings, or one that is smaller than the buyer intended.