One of the nation's top senior housing referral services just released a list of the top American cities for gay-friendly retirement.

To develop the list, experts at SeniorAdvice.com started by looking at the top American cities for retirement in general—based on ease of access to healthcare and existence of thriving senior populations—and then researched the quality of life of those cities' LGBT communities.

In addition to boasting an open acceptance of LGBT folks, the cities that eventually made the cut all have several gay bars, clubs and other establishments, annual Pride festivals, legal protections for LGBT individuals, gay-friendly recreational activities and the presence of LGBT senior groups.

Based on the research, the following cities were named as the most accommodating for LGBT retirees:

1. Austin, TX

2. Ft. Lauderdale, FL

3. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

4. Atlanta, GA

5. Phoenix, AZ

6. Orlando, FL

7. Tampa, FL

8. Portland, OR

9. Seattle, WA

10. Columbus, OH

11. Salt Lake City, UT

12. Dallas, TX

13. Las Vegas, NV

14. San Francisco, CA

15. Houston, TX

"SeniorAdvice.com is an invaluable resource for seniors, their family members, and caregivers to help find the most livable locations," said SeniorAdvice.com CEO and Founder, Ryan Patterson.

"We're also very dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and we wanted to make sure we could assist members of the gay and lesbian community in finding the best locations for retirement and senior housing."

For more information about these gay-friendly destinations, go here.

h/t: PR Newswire