The 10 Most Liberal States in America

Number 1 will surprise you.

Today, we’ll be covering the top ten liberal states according to the World Population Review. Whether you are simply curious about what states are liberal, want to move to a liberal state, or want to avoid those states as much as possible, your questions can now be answered!

1. Massachusetts

Although many people expect the top liberal state to be a state such as California or New York, Massachusetts has silently taken the lead. Even then, it’s not really a surprise with its Harvard University and the city of Boston.

One possible reason for the state’s political stance is that Massachusetts is around the East Coast, so it’s a big target for immigrants coming from overseas. The resulting mixing of cultures likely contributed to the state leaning more left.

Also, a lot of statistics show that people who take formal higher education tend to lean left. Correspondingly, some of the largest universities are in Massachusetts, which often emphasize critical thinking skills. To top it off, the overall culture of the state involves an emphasis on long-term consequences and working for the greater good.

This is more of speculation, but the state’s history may have also led to its liberal lean. For instance, some believe that the state became liberal because the colonists in the state believed in independent thinking and helped initiate the fight against Britain.

At the same time however, these same colonists treated Native Americans horribly — something liberals generally oppose today. With this aspect in mind, this may simply be something that boosts morale as opposed to an event that directly caused the state to become liberal. Even then, the state has a consistent liberal track record, as shown in its initiative towards union activism during the Industrial Revolution.

2. Maine

Demographic-wise, Maine is the exact opposite of Massachusetts, which may be a surprise when we see that it is the second most liberal state. For instance, the state is mostly a rural area, and it lacks ethnic diversity because it is a mostly white region. Also, Massachusetts has less emphasis on formal education.