# A list of top liberal cities in the US



## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

Hey there....I'm curious about what are the top liberal cities in the US should I move to? Please make me a list, thank you.

I do not want to move to a major city itself, but in the suburbs. 

The requirements I want

-low crime
-average cost of living (not expensive)
-good jobs and job growth
-friendly people in general, easy to make friends
-better weather

The reason why I posted this is because I got tired of the rain and gloomy weather in Western Washington state also I find it difficult to make new friends, many people are depressing and workocholic in general. The cost of living reminds me of California. It's almost as expensive as California. 

Also to be closer to my girlfriend's family and friends who live in Michigan. 

No bashing, please. 

Thanks!


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

_"No bashing, please"_

I wish you luck, but these "liberal city" threads generally become city vs city bashfests.


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## bosman (Mar 8, 2007)

^^ No doubt! Let's see....liberal, inexpensive, low crime, lots of jobs, friendly people and nice weather? Um.....is there such a place? Austin, TX? Tucson, AZ (liberal for Arizona)? Hmmm....good luck....


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

Taller said:


> _"No bashing, please"_
> 
> I wish you luck, but these "liberal city" threads generally become city vs city bashfests.


If this thread become city vs city bashes, I'm gonna have to request the mods to lock up the thread, their fault not mine. I am NOT interested in city vs city bashfests.


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

bosman said:


> ^^ No doubt! Let's see....liberal, inexpensive, low crime, lots of jobs, friendly people and nice weather? Um.....is there such a place? Austin, TX? Tucson, AZ (liberal for Arizona)? Hmmm....good luck....


I've heard of Austin, Texas is liberal, I hear that most of Texas is consversative, though. I do not want some of my friends who are gay end up hurt when they're visiting.


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

isn't NYC such a city? lol i'm sure it's not THAT expensive in some of the other boroughs out of Manhattan... am I wrong?


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

:lock:

Anyway, most college towns scattered are pretty liberal, or at least moreso than the surrounding area. 

No bashing the location you chose or anywhere who lives there, but you are not going to find better weather or good job growth in Michigan, at least in comparison to Washington State.

Columbus, Ohio isn't THAT big, and it is relatively liberal with Ohio State. But, I don't know if you would like the weather. Cost of living is much cheaper than Washington, but I'm not really sure how their economy is going. It's kind of sprawling as well.


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## PiperPig (Nov 10, 2005)

Asheville, NC; Durham-Chapel Hill, NC; Athens, GA; Atlanta (inside 285); Savannah (sometimes); Charleston, SC (sometimes).....

Not closer to Michigan, but better weather.....


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Canada maybe?

Not far from Michigan.


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## Resident (Aug 18, 2006)

Denver!!! It's not expensive, pretty liberal in the city, good public transit. You said the suburbs though... Not too sure about that, I haven't ventured out of the city that much since I moved here.


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## kub86 (Aug 13, 2004)

Austin, Texas always gets brought up...but I heard things are changing and it's not as funky or liberal as it once was with all the new yuppies and such. But still worth checking out. I'm thinking of relocating there....in the *very* back of my mind.

Denver? Raleigh-Durham? Suburban detroit?


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## monkeyronin (May 18, 2006)

Since when does weather determine the political lean of a city's populace?


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## sprtsluvr8 (Aug 5, 2006)

eklips said:


> Canada maybe?
> 
> Not far from Michigan.


Downtown Canada is awesome...


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## zappa (Jul 14, 2004)

Seattle (where I live)... Portland and San Francisco are all extremely liberal. Having grown up in south Georgia and having lived in Alabama and Florida, I can say unequivocally that there is nowhere in the South that is anywhere close to being as progressive as any of these cities. If you look at who cities elect to represent them, you'll get a good indicator of their politics. No Republican has been elected in Seattle for the 20 years I have lived here. Jim McDermott, who featured in 'Farenheit 911' represents Seattle in congress. The suburbs are also quite liberal, and becoming bluer with each election. City politics tend to be arguments over who is more 'pro neighborhood' as opposed to 'pro-downtown business' Portland seems to be the same scenario.


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## Chicagoago (Dec 2, 2005)

Almost any smaller college town is quite liberal. My hometown and Iowa City and the word liberal always seemed to go hand in hand in most conversations.

Madison, Boston, Seattle, Portland, Austin, Boulder, Minneapolis, and San Fran always pop into my head as more liberal, progressive and fairly safe cities.


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## ♣628.finst (Jul 29, 2005)

None of such places are close to Michigan.

1- Las Cruces NM
2- Albuquerque NM 
3- El Paso NM 
4- Austin TX 
5- San Antonio TX
6- Santa Fe NM
7- Fargo ND
8- Duluth MN
9- Des Moines IA
10- Iowa City IA


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## PanaManiac (Mar 26, 2005)

*Conspicuous Irony...*

*Based on the title of your thread and one of your requirements (low cost of living), San Francisco is at once the most liberal and expensive city in the U. S.*


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

Hmmm, It is a pretty hard choice finding the right place at the right time. We are maybe 1-2 years away deciding to move or not. We would have to research and visit the places before deciding. 

I wouldn't want to live in Arizona because it's way too hot in Phoenix-Tucson area. Imagine those A/C electricity bills! 

Colorado sounds good to me, but I don't know yet. I have only changed planes in Denver, CO last year so I haven't really visited the city, but only visited west Colorado, though. 

Austin, is like a liberal city surrounded by so much republicans. I guess Californians created that city.


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## Bluewarning (Oct 25, 2006)

sequoias said:


> Hey there....I'm curious about what are the top liberal cities in the US should I move to? Please make me a list, thank you.
> 
> I do not want to move to a major city itself, but in the suburbs.
> 
> ...


what kind of better weather are you going to find trying to be near Michigan. Try Madison. Its pretty much right across the lake from it. 

Most big cities that are 'liberal' usually have high crime.


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

Bluewarning said:


> what kind of better weather are you going to find trying to be near Michigan. Try Madison. Its pretty much right across the lake from it.
> 
> Most big cities that are 'liberal' usually have high crime.


And most of the smaller cities that are considered 'liberal' have such overbearing land-use restrictions that they create severe housing shortages and the resulting stratospheric housing prices and unavailability essentially requires everyone but the wealthiest people to live well outside of their limits. They also tend to be extremely snobby places and are normally built around large universities (ie, Boulder, CO - U of Colorado; Madison, WI - U of Wisconsin; Ithaca, NY - Cornell; Ann Arbor, MI - U of Michigan; Missoula, MT - U of Montana). Unusually 'liberal' areas of larger metros are no different, including places like Berkeley, CA; Shorewood/near northeast Milwaukee, WI; Cambridge, MA; etc.

Mike


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## PotatoGuy (May 10, 2005)

monkeyronin said:


> Since when does weather determine the political lean of a city's populace?


He wants to find a new place to live, its not like a city vs city thing


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## luv2bebrown (Nov 4, 2004)

sprtsluvr8 said:


> Downtown Canada is awesome...


wow i never knew canada was big enough to have a downtown.


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## cpddavis (Apr 26, 2005)

It sounds like you're describing Austin.

Even in other more conservative cities like Houston or Dallas, your gay friends would likely have zero problems, much less Austin where nobody could care less.

I would also say its pretty inaccurate to say that Austin's political orientation is a result of Californians. There are a myriad of other reasons.

But whatever.


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

cpddavis said:


> It sounds like you're describing Austin.
> 
> Even in other more conservative cities like Houston or Dallas, your gay friends would likely have zero problems, much less Austin where nobody could care less.
> 
> ...


How are the people in general at Texas when you greet them? I have never visited Texas before. You're saying that gay people are more safer in a metro area than in a rural country of Texas, in general?

Some people said that job growth in Texas are ok, ok except it's best in Dallas area.


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## Bluewarning (Oct 25, 2006)

mgk920 said:


> And most of the smaller cities that are considered 'liberal' have such overbearing land-use restrictions that they create severe housing shortages and the resulting stratospheric housing prices and unavailability essentially requires everyone but the wealthiest people to live well outside of their limits. They also tend to be extremely snobby places and are normally built around large universities (ie, Boulder, CO - U of Colorado; Madison, WI - U of Wisconsin; Ithaca, NY - Cornell; Ann Arbor, MI - U of Michigan; Missoula, MT - U of Montana). Unusually 'liberal' areas of larger metros are no different, including places like Berkeley, CA; Shorewood/near northeast Milwaukee, WI; Cambridge, MA; etc.
> 
> Mike


Thats the thing. We always hear about how great these liberal cities like Seattle, Portland, Boston, Madison, or wherever else are. Any place is going to be safe when there are alot of people with money and most neighborhoods are out of the price range of the poor, let alone the average person.


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## Don Omar (Aug 10, 2006)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
enough said, and you can't just take part of Milwaukee you have to take the whole thing. I work construction and working on capitol and 18th street today and 4 people walking by said hello or how good the building was looking.


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## intensivecarebear (Feb 2, 2006)

You could try Oakland, ca which is right next to SF. it's not considered the safest city in the world but its by far one of the most ethnically integrated cities in the country. There are lots of gay/lesbian people (my pastor at my lutheran church in Oakland is gay). It might even be more liberal than San Francisco, maybe because it hasn't been overrun by yuppies yet. But still, if you want to live in a nice neighborhood it isn't cheap. The weather is without a dooubt, perfect. Barely gets any of the fog that SF gets all the time.


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

intensivecarebear said:


> You could try Oakland, ca which is right next to SF. it's not considered the safest city in the world but its by far one of the most ethnically integrated cities in the country. There are lots of gay/lesbian people (my pastor at my lutheran church in Oakland is gay). It might even be more liberal than San Francisco, maybe because it hasn't been overrun by yuppies yet. But still, if you want to live in a nice neighborhood it isn't cheap. The weather is without a dooubt, perfect. Barely gets any of the fog that SF gets all the time.


Haha, I grew up in Oakland in 1980's when I was a child. I know Oakland pretty well. I'm a native californian which means I was born and raised there.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

*In the US*

Okay, Ive been just about everywhere in this country.

Most liberal cities in the US based on my experiences....

1. NYC
2. Philadelphia
3. Los Angeles
4. Boston
5. Seattle
6. Portland
7. Chicago
8. Madison
9. Milwaukee
10. Minneapolis
11. Baltimore
12. Providence
13. Austin
14. Burlington, VT
15. Jersey City
16. Washington DC
17. San Francisco (too forcefully liberal its almost right wing)
18. Miami/Fort Lauderdale
19. Bozeman, MT
20. Houston
21. St. Louis
22. Detroit
23. Pittsburgh
24. Cleveland
25. Atlanta

Places that seemed rather conservative
1. Tampa
2. Colorado Springs
3. Mobile
4. Charleston
5. Richmond
6. Wichita
7. Tulsa
8. Spokane
9. Sacramento
10. Dallas 
11. Topeka
12. Hartford
13. Charlotte
14. Denver
15. Salt Lake City
16. Jacksonville
17. Indianapolis
18. Cincinnati
19. Birmingham
20. Oklahoma City
21. San Diego
22. Phoenix
23. Reno
24. San Jose
25. Columbia


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## Bluewarning (Oct 25, 2006)

Don Omar said:


> Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> enough said, and you can't just take part of Milwaukee you have to take the whole thing. I work construction and working on capitol and 18th street today and 4 people walking by said hello or how good the building was looking.


glad to hear the people have been friendly! :cheers:


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## intensivecarebear (Feb 2, 2006)

:lol:


sequoias said:


> Haha, I grew up in Oakland in 1980's when I was a child. I know Oakland pretty well. I'm a native californian which means I was born and raised there.


Really?! What part of Oakland did you grow up in? Why did you leave?


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

intensivecarebear said:


> :lol:
> 
> Really?! What part of Oakland did you grow up in? Why did you leave?


I was a child back then. I remember living near downtown at the seaport area and some apartment in south oakland. I don't remember except the residence at the seaport area. I know East Oakland is run down and bad area, East Oakland Hills is rich community with lots of nice tall trees and big manisons. I grew up most of my life in Santa Rosa, CA before moving out of state. Yeppers, I Californiaized. :lol:


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

philadweller said:


> Okay, Ive been just about everywhere in this country.
> 
> Most liberal cities in the US based on my experiences....
> 
> ...


You sure travel a lot!


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## prolixity (Jun 13, 2007)

sequoias said:


> Hey there....I'm curious about what are the top liberal cities in the US should I move to? Please make me a list, thank you.
> 
> I do not want to move to a major city itself, but in the suburbs.
> 
> ...


Davis, CA meets all your criteria, besides vicinity to Michigan.


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## vancouverite/to'er (Apr 22, 2007)

"Downtown Canada is awesome...''

Depending on how you view Canada this could mean Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary or Ottawa.
Didn't mean to go off topic there guys...
Asheville is the cuttest liberal town in the U.S IMO
Seattle's pretty liberal 
So is Boston and Portland


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## vancouverite/to'er (Apr 22, 2007)

"wow i never knew canada was big enough to have a downtown"

ya whatever we'll double by 2038 and then be a fifth your size as opposed to a tenth. This projection is only based on the immigration rate our country's getting now. Who knows how big we'll be if the government changes its approach and pays people to have children ( as the average couple only has 1.5 kids as of now) Oh ya and we've also got the second largest reserve of oil on the planet meaning immigration will probably go up. Boston, NYC, Miami, Philly, Baltimore, Tampa, Seattle, and highly populated areas of California will probably be covered in ocean in a few years. That means even more immigration for Canada. Oh ya and downtown Canada is probably Toronto which had a metro population of 4.6 in 2001 and now about 5.8 just so you know so you better watch ur lip.


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## hudkina (Oct 28, 2003)

You might as well look at suburban Detroit, especially if you want to be close to Michigan. Metro Detroit is one of the more liberal metros in the country and even many "conservatives" are usually only fiscal conservatives, and can be socially liberal. You can choose from cities like Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Dearborn, Wyandotte, etc.


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

I have to give another nod to Denver Metro area. Down town is supposed to be a fun cool place to live, Boulder is close by and easy to get to by bus (used to go Boulder-Denver all the time on the B-line). Plus the city just finished a large expansion of its light rail system. City does have its high crime areas, but overall is pretty safe. Skiing and outdoor activities not too far away. Just generally a cool place to live. Main differences being being burried under a foot of snow in winter instead of a month straight of rain, and no big bodies of water nearby.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Yeah, this is two months old, but I still have an itching to reply. :lol:



philadweller said:


> Places that seemed rather conservative
> 1. Tampa
> 2. Colorado Springs
> 3. Mobile
> ...


Hartford definitely seems to be the "odd man out" here.

I live here, and I don't know what what it's doing on a list like that. Granted, it isn't very liberal when looking at neighboring cities in the region, but compared to some of the other cities on your list...it's pretty much left-wing. 
For one...Medicinal marijuana is heavily supported around here (although the governor vetoed it), there are civil unions for gays and lesbians, and the region hasn't voted in a Republican to Congress in decades. Religion is not a factor in politics here at all. However, the business class here is quite conservative. Overall the city is quite liberal, and the metro area is moderate.


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## Khanrak (Jun 28, 2006)

vancouverite/to'er said:


> "wow i never knew canada was big enough to have a downtown"
> 
> ya whatever we'll double by 2038 and then be a fifth your size as opposed to a tenth. This projection is only based on the immigration rate our country's getting now. Who knows how big we'll be if the government changes its approach and pays people to have children ( as the average couple only has 1.5 kids as of now) Oh ya and we've also got the second largest reserve of oil on the planet meaning immigration will probably go up. Boston, NYC, Miami, Philly, Baltimore, Tampa, Seattle, and highly populated areas of California will probably be covered in ocean in a few years. That means even more immigration for Canada. Oh ya and downtown Canada is probably Toronto which had a metro population of 4.6 in 2001 and now about 5.8 just so you know so you better watch ur lip.



If you double your population, the only possible way you'll go from being 1/10th the size of the USA to 1/5th is if the USA's population remains totally stagnant. Canada may indeed get another 30 million residents in the next 30 years, but I'm guessing that America will probably grow as well in that time, so no, you wont be 1/5th the size of America in 30 years. Sorry.


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