In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Massachusetts, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Massachusetts and want to know where the majority of Bay Staters lean left, you’ve come to the right place.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Bay State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Massachusetts with a population greater than 12,000 voted during the last presidential election. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat were named the most liberal cities in the state.
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80.2% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Suffolk County, MassachusettsBoston BOSS-tn) is the capital city and most populous municipality of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. It is also the seat of Suffolk County, although the county government was disbanded on July 1, 1999. The city proper covers 48 square miles with an estimated population of 673,184 in 2016, making it the largest city in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area home to a census-estimated 4.8million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country. As a combined statistical area, this wider commuting region is home to some 8.2million people, making it the sixth-largest in the United States.
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80.2% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Suffolk County, MassachusettsRevere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 5 miles from downtown Boston. It is named after the American Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city has a population of 51,755 inhabitants.
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80.2% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Suffolk County, MassachusettsChelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. As of 2013, Chelsea had an estimated population of 36,828. It is also the second most densely populated city in Massachusetts behind Somerville. With a total area of just 2.21 square miles, Chelsea is the smallest city in Massachusetts in terms of total area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
80.2% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Massachusetts
Winthrop is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,497 at the 2010 census. Winthrop is an ocean-side suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor, close to Logan International Airport. It is located on a peninsula, 1.6 square miles in area, connected to Revere by a narrow isthmus and to East Boston by a bridge over the harbor inlet to the Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Settled in 1630, Winthrop is one of the oldest communities in the United States. It is also one of the smallest and most densely populated municipalities in Massachusetts. It is one of the four cities in Suffolk County. It is the southernmost part of the North Shore, with a 7-mile shoreline that provides views of the Atlantic Ocean to the east and of the Boston skyline to the west.
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72.0% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Berkshire County, MassachusettsPittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. The population was 44,737 at the 2010 census. Although the population has declined in recent decades, Pittsfield remains the third largest municipality in western Massachusetts, behind only Springfield and Chicopee.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
72.0% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Berkshire County, MassachusettsNorth Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state. Best known as the home of the largest contemporary art museum in the United States, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.7% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Hampshire County, MassachusettsThe city of Northampton ) is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton was 28,549.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.0% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Middlesex County, MassachusettsMelrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population as per the 2010 United States Census is 26,983. It is a suburb located approximately seven miles north of Boston and is situated in the center of the triangle created by Interstates 93, 95 and US Route 1.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.0% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Middlesex County, MassachusettsMarlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.0% Democrat vote · #13 most liberal in Massachusetts
Located in
Middlesex County, MassachusettsWoburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located 9 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Massachusetts’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the liberal strongholds in Massachusetts
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in Massachusetts for 2026
To find the most liberal places in Massachusetts, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
We started by making a list of every city in Massachusetts over 12,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 48 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places lean the most leftward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For Democratic President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Democrats, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
The winner, Boston, is “The Most liberal City in Massachusetts For 2026”. The most conservative place in Massachusetts was Attleboro.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in Massachusetts.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In Massachusetts
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Boston | 666,442 | 80.2% |
| 2 | Revere | 60,012 | 80.2% |
| 2 | Chelsea | 39,908 | 80.2% |
| 2 | Winthrop Town | 18,759 | 80.2% |
| 5 | Pittsfield | 43,457 | 72.0% |
| 5 | North Adams | 12,606 | 72.0% |
| 7 | Northampton | 30,962 | 71.7% |
| 13 | Melrose | 29,650 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Marlborough | 41,647 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Woburn | 41,939 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Everett | 50,045 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Medford | 59,354 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Waltham | 64,902 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Malden | 65,906 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Somerville | 81,036 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Newton | 89,044 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Lowell | 118,368 | 71.0% |
| 13 | Cambridge | 118,796 | 71.0% |
| 20 | Quincy | 102,114 | 66.5% |
| 20 | Weymouth Town | 58,505 | 66.5% |
| 20 | Braintree Town | 38,899 | 66.5% |
| 20 | Franklin Town | 33,154 | 66.5% |
| 26 | Newburyport | 18,652 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Gloucester | 30,075 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Beverly | 42,665 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Salem | 44,795 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Lawrence | 88,736 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Haverhill | 67,698 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Lynn | 101,709 | 62.9% |
| 26 | Peabody | 54,695 | 62.9% |
| 31 | Barnstable Town | 49,568 | 60.7% |
| 34 | Worcester | 207,055 | 57.2% |
| 34 | Leominster | 43,909 | 57.2% |
| 34 | Fitchburg | 41,798 | 57.2% |
| 34 | Gardner | 21,148 | 57.2% |
| 34 | Southbridge Town | 17,928 | 57.2% |
| 37 | Brockton | 105,386 | 57.1% |
| 41 | Palmer Town | 12,381 | 57.0% |
| 41 | Agawam Town | 28,539 | 57.0% |
| 41 | West Springfield Town | 28,772 | 57.0% |
| 41 | Springfield | 154,749 | 57.0% |
| 41 | Westfield | 40,378 | 57.0% |
| 41 | Chicopee | 55,295 | 57.0% |
| 41 | Holyoke | 37,813 | 57.0% |
| 46 | Taunton | 60,433 | 54.5% |
| 46 | New Bedford | 100,998 | 54.5% |
| 46 | Fall River | 94,082 | 54.5% |
| 46 | Attleboro | 46,762 | 54.5% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 48 cities with more than 12,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Massachusetts
Well, there you have it, the places in Massachusetts that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Boston ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Massachusetts are Boston, Revere, Chelsea, Winthrop Town, Pittsfield, North Adams, Northampton, Melrose, Marlborough, and Woburn.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Massachusetts. Wondering how Boston stacks up against a bigger name? See Boston, MA vs. Miami, FL side by side.
