20 Top Liberal Cities in the USA: Can You Guess What They Are?
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
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.
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!).
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!
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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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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.")
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9. Buffalo, New York
There's more to Buffalo than its wings, like: Niagara Falls, Lake Erie, and sponge candy.
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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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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.
3. Seattle, Washington
The birthplace of grunge music, the "Emerald City" is also where such mammoth tech companies as Amazon and Microsoft are headquartered.
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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).