Anchorage, Alaska has been named by the Advocate Magazine as one of the “top five emerging cities for gays and lesbians.”

Yes, Anchorage.

Gary Gates, a researcher from UCLA, compared Census data from the years 2000 and 2006. He wanted to see which of the country’s 100 largest cities had the biggest growth in the proportion of same-sex couples to all couples. Anchorage jumped from number 74 to 54, with 7.54 same-sex couples per one thousand households, earning a place among the top five emerging cities. 

All five of the cities are located in conservative parts of the country. The other four are Plano, Texas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Jacksonville, Florida. 

The study suggests that more gay and lesbian couples are moving out of the progressive but expensive mega-cities and into less popular cities that have better job and housing markets. The more affordable cities tend to be in conservative areas.

According to the Advocate, gays and lesbians move to Anchorage for the good balance between cultural diversity and outdoor activities. It’s big enough to have gay bars and a community center, small enough to have access to nature. It also has jobs, and a growing economy, which the Advocate didn’t mention.

The other surprise is this description of Anchorage: “Culturally the city has a hip Pacific Northwest feel similar to Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Canada.”

Anchorage is “hip?”