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Presidential election season is deep underway, and big party lines run deep as ever. Social media quarrels and upcoming heated debates are likely to cause some societal rifts, but much of that depends on the state you live in, data shows.
Whether your favorite hashtag is #ImWithHer or #MakeAmericaGreatAgain, the top political cities for conservatives, liberals and moderates ranked by Livability is worth a look. Measuring results from the 2012 election and political surveys from data collection firm, Esri, the results show that liberals take a bigger chunk of big cities, while conservative beliefs often dominate small southern towns.
Top political cities for conservatives
In 2016, the best place to live among conservatives is Bullhead City, Arizona, the report says. Registered Republicans make up 65 percent of Bullhead City’s populace, many of whom stress a far right viewpoint. Mitt Romney won 70 percent of Mohave County in 2012, and aside from Bill Clinton, no Democratic candidate has won the county in 40 years.
Other places to live if you maintain a more conservative outlook? Enid, Oklahoma; Alabaster, Alabama; and Asheboro, North Carolina, are all top picks among Republican voters.
Burleson – a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas – rounds out the top five cities dominated by conservatives. Since 1980, the majority of Burleson voters opt Republican. Over three-quarters of the local population favored Mitt Romney is 2012, and almost half voted for Ted Cruz in this year’s primary.
Top political cities for liberals
Although not the most famous democratic haven, St. Louis is the no. 1 city for liberals nowadays, according to the report. During the 2008 election, President Obama won 82.7 percent of St. Louis County. The longest-running mayor in the city’s history is Francis F. Slay (D-Mo.), who has held office since 2001.
Less surprisingly, Berkeley in the Bay Area scored second in most liberal cities. Berkeley developed its progressive roots in the 60s with its legendary anti-war protests and free speech movements centered around the University of California, Berkeley campus. In 2014, Livability ranked Berkeley the best city for liberals based on voter registration that revealed ten times more Democrats than Republicans.
Although a city in Republican-governed New Jersey, Hoboken is the list’s no. 3 best city for liberals. Mayor Dawn Zimmer of Hoboken is not only an advocate for same sex marriage, but she also works on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Government Advisory Committee.
Just north of Chicago proper lies Evanston, a suburb that has leaned left since Republican Richard Nixon took office in the early 70s and currently ranks sixth in most liberal U.S. cities. President Obama won Cook County, which includes the Windy City, with 74 percent of voters in 2012.
Less than 10 miles from the nation’s capital, Alexandria is a liberal hotspot, Livability says. The city sits in close proximity to Washington D.C., and more than 71 percent of Alexandria voters chose Obama in 2012. During the 2016 primary, the majority of voters checked Clinton as their candidate of choice, making her the projected winner of the city come November.
Top political cities for moderates
Voters who can’t seem to find likability in either major party candidate should head to Chattanooga, Tennessee, Livability says. Although slightly more Democratic, local lifestyle choices tend to fall in line with Republican values.
Chattanooga’s 3rd district is represented by Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), and the City Council is comprised of a variety of political affiliations and perspectives, further solidifying Chattanooga’s moderate stance.
Other locales where Livability residents hold a more balanced perspective? Pocatello, Idaho; Avondale, Arizona; Bend, Oregon; and Warren, Michigan, offer more even party distribution and a solid mix of ideologies, the report says.
