In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in New Jersey, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to New Jersey and want to know where the majority of New Jerseyans 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 Garden State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in New Jersey with a population greater than 5,000 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.
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Newark is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County. As one of the nation’s major air, shipping, and rail hubs, the city had a population of 277,140 in 2010, making it the nation’s 67th-most populous municipality, after being ranked 63rd in the nation in 2000. For 2015, the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 281,944, an increase of 1.7% from the 2010 enumeration, ranking the city the 70th largest in the nation. Newark is the second largest city in the New York metropolitan area, located approximately 8 miles west of lower Manhattan.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Millburn Township, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Upper Montclair is a census-designated place, unincorporated community and neighborhood within Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for the CDP was 11,565. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07043. It is often misperceived, even by Montclair residents, to be a separate municipality from Montclair, perhaps aided by this postal designation.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Brookdale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Bloomfield, located within Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is generally considered to be the part of Bloomfield north of Bay Avenue, As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP’s total population was 9,239.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Caldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, about 16 miles outside of New York City. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 7,822, reflecting an increase of 238 from the 7,584 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 35 from the 7,549 counted in the 1990 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 7,527, reflecting an increase of 256 from the 7,271 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 195 from the 7,076 counted in the 1990 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
North Caldwell is a borough in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, United States, and a suburb of New York City. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 6,183, reflecting a decline of 1,192 from the 7,375 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 669 from the 6,706 counted in the 1990 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
77.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Essex County, New Jersey
Roseland is a borough in western Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 5,819, reflecting an increase of 521 from the 5,298 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 451 from the 4,847 counted in the 1990 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
72.6% Democrat vote · #14 most liberal in New Jersey
Located in
Hudson County, New Jersey
Guttenberg is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town’s population was 11,176. Only four blocks wide, Guttenberg is the ninth-smallest municipality in the state and the most densely populated incorporated municipality in the United States, as well as one of the most densely populated municipalities worldwide, with 57,116 people per square mile of land area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Jersey’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the liberal strongholds in New Jersey
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in New Jersey for 2026
To find the most liberal places in New Jersey, 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 New Jersey over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 267 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, Newark, is “The Most liberal City in New Jersey For 2026”. The most conservative place in New Jersey was Beach Haven West.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in New Jersey.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In New Jersey
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Newark | 310,178 | 77.3% |
| 5 | East Orange | 70,090 | 77.3% |
| 5 | Short Hills | 14,923 | 77.3% |
| 5 | Upper Montclair | 12,457 | 77.3% |
| 5 | Brookdale | 9,960 | 77.3% |
| 5 | Caldwell | 9,003 | 77.3% |
| 5 | Glen Ridge | 7,943 | 77.3% |
| 5 | North Caldwell | 6,656 | 77.3% |
| 5 | Roseland | 6,268 | 77.3% |
| 14 | Guttenberg | 11,754 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Harrison | 20,369 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Kearny | 40,614 | 72.6% |
| 14 | West New York | 52,004 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Secaucus | 21,778 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Union City | 66,463 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Bayonne | 71,553 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Jersey City | 294,078 | 72.6% |
| 14 | Hoboken | 58,668 | 72.6% |
| 22 | Hight | 5,920 | 69.4% |
| 22 | Yardville | 6,301 | 69.4% |
| 22 | Twin Rivers | 8,382 | 69.4% |
| 22 | White Horse | 10,507 | 69.4% |
| 22 | Mercerville | 13,535 | 69.4% |
| 22 | Alamance | 30,756 | 69.4% |
| 22 | Trenton | 90,338 | 69.4% |
| 22 | Hamilton Square | 11,622 | 69.4% |
| 32 | Roselle Park | 14,093 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Mountainside | 7,049 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Kenilworth | 8,401 | 67.3% |
| 32 | New Providence | 13,727 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Roselle | 22,646 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Fanwood | 7,799 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Rahway | 30,109 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Westfield | 31,111 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Linden | 44,192 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Plainfield | 55,236 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Elizabeth | 137,302 | 67.3% |
| 32 | Summit | 22,705 | 67.3% |
| 50 | Runnemede | 8,355 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Haddon Heights | 7,516 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Barrington | 7,076 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Stratford | 7,018 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Golden Triangle | 5,765 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Audubon | 8,730 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Somerdale | 5,581 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Glendora | 5,431 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Clementon | 5,410 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Kingston Estates | 6,668 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Ashland | 9,320 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Berlin | 7,539 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Gloucester City | 11,509 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Greentree | 11,537 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Bellmawr | 11,737 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Haddonfield | 12,595 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Echelon | 13,284 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Collingswood | 14,205 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Cherry Hill Mall | 14,541 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Springdale | 15,173 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Lindenwold | 21,719 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Camden | 71,496 | 66.2% |
| 50 | Pine Hill | 10,802 | 66.2% |
| 75 | Kendall Park | 10,011 | 60.4% |
| 75 | South Amboy | 9,989 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Monmouth Junction | 9,141 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Madison Park | 9,124 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Spotswood | 8,171 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Jamesburg | 5,770 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Dunellen | 7,911 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Heathcote | 7,717 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Mil | 7,059 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Laurence Harbor | 6,191 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Fords | 12,771 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Dayton | 7,952 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Highland Park | 15,121 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Middlesex | 14,645 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Metuchen | 15,144 | 60.4% |
| 75 | New Brunswick | 56,345 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Perth Amboy | 55,855 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Old Bridge | 28,236 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Carteret | 25,496 | 60.4% |
| 75 | South Plainfield | 24,473 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Sayreville | 45,838 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Iselin | 19,551 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Colonia | 18,587 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Avenel | 17,121 | 60.4% |
| 75 | South River | 16,124 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Princeton Meadows | 15,561 | 60.4% |
| 75 | Woodbridge | 20,756 | 60.4% |
| 97 | Blackwells Mills | 10,301 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Watchung | 6,485 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Finderne | 6,489 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Franklin Center | 6,646 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Green Knoll | 6,789 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Bernardsville | 7,916 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Raritan | 8,368 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Manville | 10,921 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Somerville | 13,410 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Martinsville | 11,559 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Bound Brook | 12,219 | 59.8% |
| 97 | Franklin Park | 13,211 | 59.8% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 267 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in New Jersey
Well, there you have it, the places in New Jersey that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Newark ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in New Jersey are Newark, East Orange, Short Hills, Upper Montclair, Brookdale, Caldwell, Glen Ridge, North Caldwell, Roseland, and Guttenberg.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in New Jersey.
