Most Liberal States 2021 – World Population Review
Blue states are states that have a more liberal population and culture, as opposed to the conservative red states. While there are many more red states than blue states, the blue states tend to have much higher populations, so they have higher numbers in indexes like the electoral college and the number of congressional representatives.
There are also neutral states, usually referred to as swing states because these states could go either Democratic or Republican in an election. Candidates typically do most of their campaigning in the swing states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida.
The most liberal state in the country is Massachusetts, where the equally progressive city of Boston is located. Next is Hawaii, followed by Vermont, Washington, New York, New Hampshire, California, Maryland, New Jersey, and Maine. This index of how liberal a state is is based on how many liberals there are compared to conservatives.
Just like some states can be more liberal than others, some cities are more liberal than others. These cities tend to have high minority populations and public expressions of LGBTQ+ acceptance. The most liberal city is San Francisco, California, followed by Washington, DC; Seattle, Washington; Oakland, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Detroit, Michigan; New York City, New York; Buffalo, New York; and Baltimore, Maryland. Notice that all of these cities are in blue states.
States can change from liberal to conservative over time due to factors like immigration, empowerment of minority groups (which tend to support liberal policies over conservative ones), and taxation. New York, for example, used to be highly conservative but is now much more progressive.
Below are the ten most liberal states in the United States. The data is based on a 2018 Gallup pull.
Massachusetts is the most liberal state in the U.S., with 35% of voters identifying as liberal. With 21% of voters identifying as conservative, Massachusetts has a liberal advantage of 14 points. Moderates are the largest group in Massachusetts, with 38% of the voting population identifying as moderate. In the 2016 presidential election, 60% of voters voted Democratic.
Massachusetts is also the home state of well-known politicians such as Elizabeth Warren, Michael Dukakis, Jill Stein, and the Kennedys. That state also has many urban areas and a highly educated population two factors that strongly contribute to a liberal environment.
Maine is the second-most liberal state in the country. 33% of voters identify as liberal; however, the liberal advantage is -2 because 35% of voters identify as conservative. In the 2016 presidential election, 47.9% of Maine voted Democratic, while 44.9% voted Republican. Maine is one of the few states where moderates do not outnumber liberals or conservatives, with 29% of voters identifying as moderate.
Vermont is the third-most liberal state in the country, with 32% of voters identifying as liberal. With 28% of voters identifying as conservative, Vermont has a liberal advantage of 4 points, the third-highest country. 56.3% of Vermont voters voted Democratic in the 2016 election, while 30.3% voted Republican. In 2012, Barack Obama won Vermont by 35.6 percentage points.
Vermont is the home of Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist with very leftists views who ran for president unsuccessfully in 2016 and is running again in 2020. He received 71% of the vote in Vermont in 2016.
With 31% of voters identifying as liberal, Washington is the fourth-most liberal state in the United States. 28% of voters identify as conservative, giving Washington a liberal advantage of 3 points. Moderates have the largest percentage of voters, with 37%. In the 2016 presidential election, 52.5% of voters voted Democratic.
New York is the fifth-most liberal state in the U.S. 30% of voters identify as liberal in New York versus 27% who identify as conservative, giving New York a 3-point liberal advantage. New York is geographically split, a majority of upstate areas vote conservative, and the larger metro areas vote liberal. In the 2016 presidential election, 59% of voters voted Democratic.
New Hampshire is the sixth-most liberal state in a tie with New York at 30%. New Hampshire is 28% conservative, giving it a slightly less liberal advantage than New York of 2 points. In the 2016 presidential election, 46.8% of voters voted Democratic, only a 0.3% lead over those who voted Republican (46.5%).
California is the seventh-most liberal state in the United States. 29% of voters identify as liberal, and 29% identify as conservative, giving California a liberal advantage of zero points. 36% of voters in California identify as moderate. As the state with the most electoral votes, Californias vote is a big deal in elections. In the 2016 presidential elections, 61.5% of voters voted Democratic, a 30% lead over the Republican vote.
Oregon is the eighth-most liberal state in the country, with 28% of voters identifying as liberal. Oregon has a liberal advantage of -4 points due to 32% of voters identifying as conservative; however, 35% of voters identify as moderate. In the 2016 presidential election, 50.1% of voters voted Democratic while 39.1% voted Republican. The most Democratic areas of the state were around Eugene and Portland.
In a tie with Oregon is Maryland, which also has 28% of voters identifying as liberal. Maryland voters are 29% conservative, giving the state a -1 point liberal advantage. The largest group of voters is moderate, at 39%. Most of Marylands liberal base is in the Washington D.C. metro area and Baltimore. In the 2016 presidential election, 60.3% of voters voted Democratic.
Maryland legalized gay marriage, pushed for major gun restrictions, and imposed tax increases, among other progressive policies.
Hawaii is tied with both Maryland and Oregon has the eighth-most liberal state in the United States. 28% of voters in Hawaii identify as liberal, and 22% identify as conservative, giving Hawaii a liberal advantage of 6 points, the second-highest in the country. Moderates are the largest group in Hawaii, with 45% of voters identify as moderate, which is also the largest percentage of any state in the country. In 2016, 62.2% of Hawaii voters voted Democratic in the presidential election.
The top ten most liberal urban areas in the United States, starting with the most liberal city in America, include the following:
Continue reading here:
Most Liberal States 2021 - World Population Review
- POLL: 42% of liberals approve of law-breaking in response to disagreeing with a government action - Cygnal - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Conservative distrust of journalism threatens to spread among liberals - Newton Kansan - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Liberals to table bail reform bill to crack down on repeat offenders - CBC - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Liberals surprised by loss, and need to look at what went wrong, says returning MHA Fred Hutton - CBC - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Party VP says Liberals will 'rebuild and carry on' after falling out of government - CBC - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Yukon Liberals roll out platform as common election promises emerge between parties - The Spec - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Liberals surprised by loss, and need to look at what went wrong, says returning MHA Fred Hutton - Yahoo News Canada - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Where the Liberals went wrong and what the shift in power means for NLs political future - PNI Atlantic News - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Liberals defeated in Newfoundland and Labrador election - Yahoo News Canada - October 17th, 2025 [October 17th, 2025]
- Elon Musks political persona linked to waning interest in Teslas among liberals - PsyPost - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Pierre Poilievre: The Liberals must get out of the way of growth - Yahoo News Canada - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Civil liberties groups urge Liberals to withdraw 'vague' anti-hate bill that opposition MPs say is 'trying to lower the bar' for prosecution - The... - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Senior conservative cautions Liberals quietly pushing to split the party - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Liberals are up to their same old tricks - Troy Media - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Victorian Liberals will scrap Australian-first Treaty within 100 days if elected - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Newfoundland and Labrador election: Liberals and Tories running neck and neck - The Lethbridge Herald - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- Bari Weiss torched as 'talentless hack' as liberals rage over CBS News boss [Video] - AOL.com - October 15th, 2025 [October 15th, 2025]
- WA Liberals told they need more women, better candidates in post-election review - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Budget 2025: What the federal Liberals are pitching in their upcoming budget - Business in Vancouver - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- Abbott says Ley and Liberals need to learn from his stint as opposition leader - The Sydney Morning Herald - October 13th, 2025 [October 13th, 2025]
- The Week in Polling: Liberals and Conservatives neck and neck; American trust in mainstream media hits all-time low; Canadians overwhelmingly reject... - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Conservative distrust of journalism threatens to spread among liberals - Kansas Reflector - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Budget 2025: What the federal Liberals are pitching in their upcoming budget - Yahoo News Canada - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- 'Long overdue' say those who welcome the Liberals' promised automatic tax filing system - CBC - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Budget 2025: What the federal Liberals are pitching in their upcoming budget - The Spec - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Budget 2025: What the federal Liberals are pitching in their upcoming budget - Toronto Star - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Liberals in closed-door talks to boost NDP funding, claim its not related to upcoming budget vote - Toronto Star - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Grattan on Friday: Will the Liberals hold firm in the fight over freedom to find information? - The Conversation - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Budget 2025: What the federal Liberals are pitching in their upcoming budget - saskNOW - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- These rural Californians want to secede. Newsoms maps would pair them with Bay Area liberals - el-observador.com - October 11th, 2025 [October 11th, 2025]
- Liberals seem intent on winning the battle of new terms over the war of ideas - AJC.com - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Conservatives Love Him. Liberals Actually Listen to Him. How Does Ross Douthat Do That? - Slate - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- The Liberals find a better balance in fighting hate - The Globe and Mail - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- The ground is shifting: whats driving One Nations surge and could it replace the floundering Liberals? - The Guardian - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Supreme Court's Liberals Offer Muted Defense of 'Conversion Therapy' Ban - Law.com - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Michael Higgins: Tamara Lich was never an insurrectionist. It just suited Liberals to pretend - Yahoo News Canada - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- The Yukon Liberals Are Coming Apart at the Worst Possible Time - The Walrus - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Liberals pledge support for tech sector, defence. PCs double down on supporting the trades - CBC - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Trump sends Navy officers wild with powerful message to liberals claiming he's 'unwell' - Daily Mail - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Liberals vote against Tory bail reform motion, vow opposition will be happy with new legislation - Global News - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- 8 days out from election, Liberals pitch office to cut through red tape, NDP promises cuts to heating tax - Yahoo News Canada - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- In travelling a spread-out province, the Liberals and PCs are trying to navigate N.L.'s rural-urban divide - CBC - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- The Liberals need to be clear cut on spending cuts - The Globe and Mail - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Liberals Are Losing the Clip War, How Can We Fight Back? (w/ Adam Mockler) - The Bulwark - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Liberals hope to entice Paradise voters with promises of solution to traffic gridlock - Yahoo News Canada - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- A hearty welcome for the Liberals in the district of Fogo Island-Cape Freels indicates its a race between red and blue - Yahoo News Canada - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Mike Johnson Threatens Liberals With a Good Time: If Democrats Took Over the House Theyd Impeach Trump - Yahoo - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Liberals and conservatives are familiar foes of California gerrymandering | Opinion - Yahoo News Canada - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Gap between Liberals and Conservatives narrows to four points as Canadians increasingly focus on jobs/the economy. (Nanos) - Nanos Research - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Provincial Liberals Held Commanding Lead Prior to Writ Drop: Narrative Research - VOCM - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Liberals and conservatives are familiar foes of California gerrymandering | Opinion - Sacramento Bee - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- POLL: Liberals More Likely to Cut Ties with Friends and Family Over Politics - AMAC - The Association of Mature American Citizens - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Liberals say they're confused by Poilievre's call to 'argue' against B.C. land-claims ruling they've already appealed - MSN - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Liberals say they're confused by Poilievre's call to 'argue' against B.C. land-claims ruling they've already appealed - Yahoo News Canada - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- The Dark Passions Driving American Politics: Why Liberals Must Acknowledge Anger, Fear, and the Lust for Domination - Keen On America - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- Daily Caller Editor Literally Calls for Conservatives to Violently Attack Liberals: I Want Blood in the Streets - Yahoo - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- OPINION: Ontario Liberals should mirror federal counterparts' voting safeguards to prevent foreign interference and coercion - The Trillium - September 30th, 2025 [September 30th, 2025]
- What Liberals Get Wrong About Trumps Executive Order on Antifa - The Intercept - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Liberals say they have 'no intention' of repealing Online News and Streaming Acts. For now - National Post - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- David McWilliams: Where does the political aftermath of Charlie Kirks killing leave Maga and US liberals? - The Irish Times - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Cost of living on the ballot as Liberals visit west coast, NDP criticize lack of transparency - CBC - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- Conservative MP says Liberals are the architect' of Canada Post's problems - CBC - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- The Right Wants to Exterminate Trans People. Liberals Are Helping. - The Nation - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Liberals say they have 'no intention' of repealing Online News and Streaming Acts. For now - Yahoo News Canada - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Braid: The Liberals face a furious Prairie battle over mandatory gun buybacks - Calgary Herald - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- 2 more Yukon Liberals added to roster in rural ridings ahead of election call - Yukon News - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Maher blasts Hollywood liberals for not acknowledging Charlie Kirk's assassination at the Emmys - Yahoo - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- CNNs Abby Phillip Says More Liberals Need To Actively Acknowledge Their Part in Cancel Culture - Yahoo - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Reports on political violence may favor liberals and inflate right-wing numbers - KDBC - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Reports on political violence may favor liberals and inflate right-wing numbers - WUHF - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Presumptive Cancer Care Still Part of Liberals Campaign Promises NAPE is Told - VOCM - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals hit the brakes on buying Teslas - University of Colorado Boulder - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- CNN's Abby Phillip Says Liberals Should 'Actively Acknowledge' Role in Cancel Culture: 'Not Just in Passing' | Video - TheWrap - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- Maher blasts Hollywood liberals for not acknowledging Charlie Kirk's assassination at the Emmys - Fox News - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel canceled? Liberals are finally reaping what they sowed. | Opinion - MSN - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- How both conservatives and liberals doctored the same photo of the Charlie Kirk murder suspect - France 24 - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel canceled? Liberals are finally reaping what they sowed. | Opinion - USA Today - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Liberals shifting Coast Guard to defence is creative accounting: Conservatives - Juno News - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Tariffs on imported sugar to hit liberals, Gen Z even MAHA where it hurts: organic food - Fortune - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel Hammered MAGA With Jokes, Barely Touched Liberals - Here Are The Stats - OutKick - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]