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20 Top Liberal Cities in the USA: Can You Guess What They Are?

NewsPublished Jul 22, 2015
By Jacqueline Burt Cote
map u.s.

Many liberals who grow up in small towns end up moving to big cities, and with good reason -- a diverse metropolis will almost always be more accepting of left-leaning types than a sheltered suburb. But which U.S. cities are the most liberal?

Here are the 20 most liberal cities in our nation, according to the recent findings of researchers from MIT and UCLA. See if your home sweet home made the cut!

Image via Aaron Brown/Flickr

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20. Denver, Colorado-placeholder
20. Denver, Colorado
Teri Virbickis/Shutterstock

20. Denver, Colorado

Known as the "Mile High City," Denver is the capital of Colorado and a mecca for mountain climbers, white water raft enthusiasts, and extreme sports fans in general.

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19. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-placeholder
19. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Sahani Photography/Shutterstock

19. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Voted "America's Most Livable City" six times since 2000 by The Economist, Pittsburgh has also been voted one of the “Best Places in the World to Visit” by National Geographic (crime is low, schools are good, and there's plenty of fun stuff to do!).

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18. Los Angeles, California-placeholder
18. Los Angeles, California
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

18. Los Angeles, California

One might have expected Los Angeles to rate higher on this list, but it's still no surprise to find that this Hollywood-heavy city leans towards the liberal side!

More from The Stir: 20 Most Conservative Cities in America: Do You Live in One of Them?

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17. New Orleans, Louisiana-placeholder
17. New Orleans, Louisiana
Chuck Wagner/Shutterstock

17. New Orleans, Louisiana

As with Los Angeles, one might have expected The Big Easy to rank higher on a list of liberal cities (Mardi Gras alone should have bumped this up to #5 at least!), but still -- no one can call NOLA conservative!

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16. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-placeholder
16. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
iStock.com/AK2

16. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Home of the Liberty Bell and the only truly authentic cheesesteaks on the planet, Philadelphia also figures prominently in such song titles as "Philadelphia Freedom" (Elton John) and just plain old "Philadelphia" (Bruce Springsteen).

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15. St. Louis, Missouri-placeholder
15. St. Louis, Missouri
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15. St. Louis, Missouri

Take a ride to the top of the world-famous Gateway Arch to get a good look at "Gateway City," where Lewis and Clark began their fateful expedition.

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14. Austin, Texas-placeholder
14. Austin, Texas
T photography/Shutterstock

14. Austin, Texas

The capital of Texas, Austin is also known as the "Live Music Capital of the World." Residents and visitors alike also appreciate the lakes, parks, and abundant BBQ.

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13. St. Paul, Minnesota-placeholder
13. St. Paul, Minnesota
Photo.ua/Shutterstock

13. St. Paul, Minnesota

One half of the Twin Cities, capital of Minnesota St. Paul is known for its museums and theaters (and long, long winters).

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12. Portland, Oregon-placeholder
12. Portland, Oregon
Josemaria Toscano/Shutterstock

12. Portland, Oregon

The inspiration for the show Portlandia, Portland is the largest city in Oregon and a great place to go for craft beer and books (Powell's City of Books is the "largest new and used bookstore in the world.") 

More from The Stir: 10 Conservative Conspiracy Theories That Make No Sense (PHOTOS)

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11. Chicago, Illinois-placeholder
11. Chicago, Illinois
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11. Chicago, Illinois

Things That Mean Chicago: Deep dish pizza. The White Sox. Wind. (And apparently, liberal politics.)

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10. Baltimore, Maryland-placeholder
10. Baltimore, Maryland
Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

10. Baltimore, Maryland

Known for its baseball team (the Orioles) and crab cakes (straight from the Chesapeake Bay), Baltimore is the second-largest seaport in the mid Atlantic and gave us such luminaries as Edgar Allen Poe and Babe Ruth!

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9. Buffalo, New York-placeholder
9. Buffalo, New York
iStock.com/Imagesbybarbara

9. Buffalo, New York

There's more to Buffalo than its wings, like: Niagara Falls, Lake Erie, and sponge candy.

More from The Stir: 10 Best & Worst States to Live In If You're a Working Mom (PHOTOS)

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8. New York, New York-placeholder
8. New York, New York
Luciano Mortula/Shutterstock

8. New York, New York

Naturally The Big Apple is placed prominently on this list! Considered the "World Capital," Manhattan is a constant whirlwind of new ideas in arts, entertainment, business, and more. If you can make it there ... well, you know the rest.

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7. Detroit, Michigan-placeholder
7. Detroit, Michigan
iStock.com/smontgom65

7. Detroit, Michigan

Once the prosperous center of the automotive industry, "Motor City" has fallen on hard (not to mention racially tense) times in recent years. If you're looking to buy cheap real estate, however, Detroit could be the place for you!

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6. Minneapolis, Minnesota-placeholder
6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
iStock.com/jimkruger

6. Minneapolis, Minnesota

St. Paul's larger "twin," Minneapolis is a city that appreciates culture (Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis Institute of Arts) and water sports (Chain of Lakes). 

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5. Boston, Massachusetts-placeholder
5. Boston, Massachusetts
Jorge Salcedo/Shutterstock

5. Boston, Massachusetts

It's somewhat ironic that Boston is on this list considering that whole Boston tea party thing (tea party, get it?), but one of America's oldest cities is now considered one of its most liberal, too.

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4. Oakland, California-placeholder
4. Oakland, California
Andrew Zarivny/Shutterstock

4. Oakland, California

Voted one of the "Best U.S. Cities for Hippies" in 2013 by real estate blog Estately, Oakland is home to many hemp product stores and has provided a less expensive option for peace-and-love-loving types who were priced out of nearby San Francisco.

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3. Seattle, Washington-placeholder
3. Seattle, Washington
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3. Seattle, Washington

The birthplace of grunge music, the "Emerald City" is also where such mammoth tech companies as Amazon and Microsoft are headquartered.

More from The Stir: The 8 States Most Obsessed With Their Looks: Is Yours One of Them?

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2. Washington, D.C.-placeholder
2. Washington, D.C.
Joe Ravi/Shutterstock

2. Washington, D.C.

As of 2014, the percentage of people living in our nation's capital who called themselves liberal was far greater than the national percentage (38.1 percent versus 23 percent).

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1. San Francisco, California-placeholder
1. San Francisco, California
Holbox/Shutterstock

1. San Francisco, California

From Haight-Ashbury and the beginnings of the counterculture movement to the emergence of the city's thriving LGBT community, San Francisco has long been a haven for left-thinking individuals.

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