More same-sex couples moving to Seattle’s suburbs

Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is still the center of Puget Sound’s gay community, but the latest census data shows a lot of gay couples are leaving the safety of the city and moving to the suburbs.

Cities like Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Lynnwood have seen a sharp rise in the number of gay couples, and other Seattle neighborhoods are seeing similar increases.

West Seattle is now known in the gay community as “Capitol Hill West.” The Seattle Times reports the number of same-sex couples has risen 55-percent in West Seattle the last ten years.

Gay couples say they’re seeking the same thing straight couples are: affordable housing, good schools, and space. They also say they feel more comfortable leaving Seattle now because more people are in the suburbs are accepting of their lifestyle.