In this article, we will be taking a look at the 20 most liberal states in the US. You can also check out our article on the 20 Most Feminist Countries in the World.
Overview of Liberalism in the United States and Its Stronghold in Massachusetts
The United States has been a major proponent and defender of liberal values globally, although its commitment to upholding these values has fluctuated over time. Since the 1930s, modern liberalism in the US has been associated with support for a regulated market economy, expansion of civil and political rights, and government programs aimed at promoting social welfare and equality. Key achievements of this liberal tradition include the New Deal policies under Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Great Society programs under Lyndon B. Johnson, and landmark civil rights legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The University of Richmond claims that political usage of the term “liberalism” dates back to the early 1800s. It first appeared in 1810–1811 when a group of Spanish Cortes dubbed themselves “Liberales” and promoted an open, tolerant society with less intervention. The phrase then made its way to France and Great Britain, where, by the 1840s, the Whigs had transformed into the Liberal Party.
According to Pew Research Center research, conservatives want big homes in rural or small-town settings, preferably with other members of their own religious community. Liberals, on the other hand, want thriving urban environments with compact housing, pedestrian-friendly streets, and a diversified populace. According to the survey, 35% of consistently conservative people prefer small towns, while 41% of people prefer living in rural areas. On the other hand, 46% of consistently liberal people would rather live in the city. In both groups, about 20% prefer living in the suburbs.
As the most liberal state in the union, Massachusetts has always supported the Democratic Party in presidential elections since 1964, with 35% of its citizens identifying as liberal. Only 16% of Massachusetts lawmakers’ votes in 2020 reflected conservative viewpoints on topics including corporate tax increases and abortion access, according to a report by the Center for Legislative Accountability, making them the most liberal in the country.
Major Liberal Companies
Companies like Amazon, Nike, and Google, among others, are known for their liberalism. Amazon Supports LGBTQ+ rights and offers comprehensive benefits for transgender employees. In 2022, Amazon’s global activities resulted in a total tax contribution of $77.99 billion across different regions. Amazon has invested over $530 billion in the U.S. over the past decade, creating 1.6 million indirect jobs. Small and medium businesses make up 60% of Amazon’s product sales, creating an estimated 2.2 million jobs. In Q1 2024, Amazon’s net sales increased 13% year-over-year to $143.3 billion and AWS revenue growth accelerated to 17.2% year-over-year, up from 13.2% in Q4 2023. Their Advertising revenue grew over 23% year-over-year to $11.7 billion in the same period.
Nike has often been portrayed as a progressive and liberal company, particularly after its controversial ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick in 2018. In the 2018 election cycle, Nike employees and its PAC contributed $424,000 to Republicans compared to only $122,000 to Democrats. This means 78% of Nike’s political contributions went to the Republican party. Over the past decade, Nike has consistently given a majority of its political donations to Republicans, ranging from 59% to 76% in various election cycles. In 2024, Nike Inc. spent $410,000 on lobbying efforts. Nike’s Greater China revenue grew 12% in Q1, with Nike Direct up 10% and Nike Stores up 12%.
Last but not least, Google, the tech giant and subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has long been perceived as a liberal-leaning company, particularly due to its employees’ political contributions favoring Democratic candidates and causes. In the 2022 election cycle, the Google Inc. PAC contributed $452,000 (52.83%) to Democratic candidates and $401,500 (46.93%) to Republicans. This trend has been observed in previous election cycles as well, with Google employees donating $207,650 to federal candidates in 2004, primarily favoring Democrats. In Q1 2024 their total revenue was $80.5 billion, up 15% year-over-year. Their Google Services revenue was $70.4 billion, up 14% YoY, Google Cloud revenue was $9.6 billion, up 28% YoY, and YouTube Ads revenue was $8 billion, up 21%. YoY.
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Our Methodology
For our methodology, we ranked the most liberal states based on their liberal-to-conservative ratios, using the percentages available from 2019 due to the absence of more recent data. For example, if a state has 35% of its population identifying as liberal and 21% as conservative, the ratio is calculated as 35/21, resulting in approximately 1.6. States with the highest ratios are considered the most liberal.
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Here is our list of the 20 most liberal states in the US.
20. Wisconsin
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.68
Wisconsin stands among one of the liberal states in the US. Although the liberals are less than the conservatives the states still have liberal laws and audiences. In 2014 and 2016, Republicans had a strong majority (around 68%) among conservative voters, while liberals overwhelmingly leaned Democrat (around 84%). However, Republicans have consistently won a majority in the state legislature in recent years, despite Democrats often winning statewide races which is attributed to Republican-friendly redistricting in 2011 that reduced competitive districts. On issues like abortion, 62% of Republican-leaning voters supported making it illegal in most cases, compared to 73% of Democrat-leaning voters supporting legalization.
19. Pennsylvania
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.70
Pennsylvania is generally regarded as a swing state or a purple state, with a relatively balanced mix of liberal and conservative voters. According to data from the Pew Research Center, 24% of people identify as liberals. 41% of adults lean towards or affiliate with the Democratic Party, while 39% lean towards or affiliate with the Republican Party.
18. Virginia
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.72
Virginia is a moderate state with both conservatives and liberals. The state has a mix of liberal policies like:
- Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act
- Allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses
- Banning LGBTQ discrimination in housing and employment
- Legalizing marijuana for recreational use
17. Colorado
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.78
Colorado is considered a blue or Democratic-leaning state in recent elections, but this is a relatively new trend. Before 2008, it was a Republican-leaning swing state. 26% of the population in Colorado is identified as liberals as of 2019.
16. Minnesota
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.78
Minnesota is often considered one of the most liberal states in the US. The Twin Cities metro area (Minneapolis and St. Paul) and surrounding suburbs lean heavily Democratic and liberal. Other cities like Duluth and Rochester also trend liberal. In contrast, rural areas of “Greater Minnesota” tend to be more conservative.
15. Delaware
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.82
Delaware has more conservatives (29%) than liberals (24%) but still stands among the most liberal states in the US due to the state’s liberal laws. The party registration statistics from January 2024 show:
- 45.93% registered Democrats
- 26.87% registered Republicans
- 22.27% registered with no party affiliation
14. Rhode Island
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.86
Rhode Island is widely regarded as one of the most liberal states in the United States. Gallup data from 2014 shows that 51% of Rhode Islanders identified as Democrat/lean Democrat, compared to only 33% as Republican/lean Republican. Additionally, 23% identified as liberal, higher than the national average of 23%. In 2019 there were 25% liberals in the city and 29% conservatives. Rhode Island was one of the earliest states to legalize same-sex marriage in 2013, with all five Republican state senators voting in favor of the law.
13. Oregon
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.87
Oregon is considered one of the most liberal states in the US. Oregon has strict environmental regulations, including a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags and a commitment to transition to 100% clean energy by 2040. Oregon legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, becoming one of the first states to do so. Oregon was also the first state to legalize physician-assisted dying for terminally ill patients in 1997. Oregon has comprehensive anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ+ individuals and legalized same-sex marriage in 2014.
12. Illinois
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.87
Illinois is considered one of the most liberal states in the US, with a strong Democratic lean. However, it’s important to note that the state is not entirely homogeneous in its political leanings. According to data from the Pew Research Center, among adults in Illinois:
- 35% identify as Democrat/lean Democrat
- 22% identify as Republican/lean Republican
- 29% identify as having no political lean
This shows a clear Democratic advantage in the state. Additionally, the data reveals that those identifying as Democrat/lean Democrat tend to have higher levels of education, with 30% having a college or post-graduate degree, compared to 32% of Republicans/lean Republicans.
11. Connecticut
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.90
Connecticut stands eleventh among the most liberal states in the US. As of October 2020, there were 926,567 registered Democrats and 510,012 registered Republicans in the state. Connecticut enacted strict gun control laws, including an assault weapon ban and universal background checks for all firearm purchases. The state also legalized same-sex marriage in 2008, becoming one of the earliest states to do so.
10. New Jersey
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.93
New Jersey is considered one of the most liberal states in the United States, with a strong Democratic presence and a history of supporting progressive policies. The state has a significant Democratic majority, with over 994,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans as of April 2020.
9. Maine
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.94
Maine is generally regarded as a blue or Democratic-leaning state. In the 2020 presidential election, it voted for Joe Biden, and both of its House seats are currently held by Democrats. The state has been at the forefront of environmental protection efforts, with initiatives such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the promotion of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
8. Maryland
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 0.96
Maryland stands among one of the states with the most liberals in the US. The state has a liberal advantage, with 28% of voters identifying as liberal compared to 29% identifying as conservative. Some of the liberal laws in the state include:
- Stricter gun control laws, including bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
- Raised taxes, including increasing income tax rates for higher earners.
- Expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
7. California
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 1.00
California is one of the most liberal states to retire in. The state has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988, consistently favoring Democratic nominees in recent elections. Both houses of the California State Legislature have been controlled by Democrats for over a decade, with supermajorities in both chambers.
6. New Hampshire
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 1.07
New Hampshire stands sixth among the most liberal states in the US. There were around 30% liberals and 28% conservatives in the state in 2019.
5. Washington
Liberal-to-Conservative Ratio: 1.10
Washington is a highly liberal state in the US. There were around 31% liberals compared to 28% of the conservatives in the state in 2019. In 2020, Washington became the first state to legalize the composting of human remains. The state has implemented strict environmental regulations and policies to combat climate change.
