The 10 Most Liberal Cities In Ohio For 2026

The most liberal cities in Ohio are Cleveland and Parma for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Ohio, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.

If you’re looking to move to Ohio and want to know where the majority of Ohioans 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 Buckeye State.

To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Ohio 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.

Not sold on Ohio? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Cleveland, OH

366,097 peopleSnackAbility 3/10
3/10
Cleveland, OH
Source: Flickr User Tim Evanson | CC BY-SA 2.0
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of Cleveland within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the state’s second most-populous county. Located along Lake Erie, the city proper has a population of 388,072, making Cleveland the 51st largest city in the United States, and the second-largest city in Ohio after Columbus. Greater Cleveland ranked as the 32nd-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with 2,055,612 people in 2016. The city anchors the Cleveland-Akron-Canton Combined Statistical Area, which had a population of 3,515,646 in 2010 and ranks 15th in the United States.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Bay Village, OH

15,984 peopleSnackAbility 10/10
10/10
Bay Village, OH
Source: Wikipedia User rabesphoto | CC BY-SA 2.0
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Bay Village is a city located west of Cleveland Ohio in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 15,651 at the 2010 census. Bay Village is located in Ohio’s 9th congressional district.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Middleburg Heights, OH

15,786 peopleSnackAbility 7/10
7/10
Middleburg Heights, OH
Source: Wikipedia User Chris Light (talk). | CC BY-SA 3.0
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of Middleburg Heights within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Middleburg Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 15,946 at the 2010 census.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Beachwood, OH

13,865 peopleSnackAbility 8.5/10
8.5/10
Beachwood, OH
Source: Public domain
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of Beachwood within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Beachwood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2010 census the city’s population was 11,953.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Lyndhurst, OH

13,801 peopleSnackAbility 9/10
9/10
Lyndhurst, OH
Source: Public domain
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of Lyndhurst within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Lyndhurst is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and an eastern suburb of Cleveland. The population was 14,001 at the 2010 census. A small part of Lyndhurst was originally part of Mayfield Township.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Brecksville, OH

13,692 peopleSnackAbility 9/10
9/10
Brecksville, OH
Source: Public domain
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of Brecksville within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Brecksville is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb in the Greater Cleveland area. The city’s population was 13,656 at the 2010 census.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

East Cleveland, OH

13,534 peopleSnackAbility 4/10
4/10
East Cleveland, OH
Source: Public domain
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of East Cleveland within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

East Cleveland is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and is the first suburb of Cleveland. The population was 17,843 at the 2010 census. East Cleveland is bounded by the city of Cleveland to its north, west, and a small section of its southwestern edge, and by Cleveland Heights to the east and the majority of its southern limits.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

Fairview Park, OH

17,018 peopleSnackAbility 9/10
9/10
Fairview Park, OH
Source: Public domain
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of Fairview Park within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Fairview Park is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It borders Cleveland to the east, Westlake and North Olmsted to the west, Rocky River to the north and Brook Park to the south. At the 2010 census, the city population was 16,826.

19

No. 19 most liberal place in Ohio

University Heights, OH

13,394 peopleSnackAbility 8.5/10
8.5/10
University Heights, OH
Source: Public domain
66.5% Democrat vote · #20 most liberal in Ohio
Map of University Heights within Ohio Located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

University Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It borders Beachwood to the east, Cleveland Heights to the west, South Euclid to the north and Shaker Heights to the south. The population was 13,539 as of the 2010 Census. University Heights is nicknamed the “City of Beautiful Homes.” University Heights is closely tied to neighboring Cleveland Heights, with the two sharing a school system, library system, post office and ZIP Code, some city services, and local media outlets. With about half the population under the age of 30, University Heights is home to one of the youngest communities in the region, including both students and families.

The receipts

Compare the top ten

Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Ohio’s statewide median.

City % Democrat vs OH
19 Cleveland 0.6651685393258427
19 Bay Village 0.6651685393258427
19 Middleburg Heights 0.6651685393258427
19 Beachwood 0.6651685393258427
19 Lyndhurst 0.6651685393258427
19 Brecksville 0.6651685393258427
19 Warrensville Heights 0.6651685393258427
19 East Cleveland 0.6651685393258427
19 Fairview Park 0.6651685393258427
19 University Heights 0.6651685393258427
City Population vs OH
19 Cleveland 366,097
19 Bay Village 15,984
19 Middleburg Heights 15,786
19 Beachwood 13,865
19 Lyndhurst 13,801
19 Brecksville 13,692
19 Warrensville Heights 13,545
19 East Cleveland 13,534
19 Fairview Park 17,018
19 University Heights 13,394

On the map

Mapping the liberal strongholds in Ohio

Saturday Night Science

How we determined the most liberal cities in Ohio for 2026

To find the most liberal places in Ohio, 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 Ohio over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 249 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, Cleveland, is “The Most liberal City in Ohio For 2026”. The most conservative place in Ohio was Celina.

We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in Ohio.

The full plate

Most Liberal Places In Ohio

Click any column to sort. Search by city name.

RankCityPopulation% Liberal
19Cleveland366,09766.5%
19Bay Village15,98466.5%
19Middleburg Heights15,78666.5%
19Beachwood13,86566.5%
19Lyndhurst13,80166.5%
19Brecksville13,69266.5%
19Warrensville Heights13,54566.5%
19East Cleveland13,53466.5%
19Fairview Park17,01866.5%
19University Heights13,39466.5%
19Seven Hills11,60366.5%
19Brooklyn11,15866.5%
19Bedford Heights10,84766.5%
19Olmsted Falls8,63966.5%
19Highland Heights8,62366.5%
19Independence7,53466.5%
19Pepper Pike6,84066.5%
19Bedford12,93166.5%
19Berea18,21866.5%
19Richmond Heights10,62666.5%
19Broadview Heights19,77166.5%
19Brook Park18,28466.5%
19Parma79,87066.5%
19Lakewood50,00766.5%
19Euclid48,82366.5%
19Strongsville45,98366.5%
19Westlake34,10466.5%
19North Olmsted31,92466.5%
19North Royalton30,97266.5%
19Cleveland Heights44,49766.5%
19Shaker Heights28,92266.5%
19Solon23,94366.5%
19Maple Heights23,25866.5%
19South Euclid21,53466.5%
19Rocky River21,49066.5%
19Parma Heights20,58166.5%
19Mayfield Heights20,02266.5%
19Garfield Heights29,26966.5%
46Whitehall20,01964.9%
46Groveport5,90064.9%
46Grandview Heights8,64764.9%
46Canal Winchester10,17064.9%
46New Albany10,89664.9%
46Bexley13,11464.9%
46Worthington14,93864.9%
46Pickerington24,47764.9%
46Hilliard38,03364.9%
46Upper Arlington36,29364.9%
46Westerville38,64564.9%
46Reynoldsburg41,22464.9%
46Grove City42,51764.9%
46Dublin49,29464.9%
46Columbus914,80264.9%
46Gahanna35,48664.9%
57Waterville6,01757.5%
57Sylvania19,05557.5%
57Maumee13,71557.5%
57Toledo267,46357.5%
57Oregon19,79957.5%
69North College Hill9,55557.1%
69Deer Park5,38457.1%
69The Village of Indian Hill6,05257.1%
69Milford6,49757.1%
69Mount Healthy6,91957.1%
69Cheviot8,66057.1%
69Wyoming8,72357.1%
69Madeira9,48457.1%
69Reading10,50257.1%
69Cincinnati311,22457.1%
69Springdale11,03357.1%
69Harrison13,08457.1%
69Loveland13,19757.1%
69Blue Ash13,45557.1%
69Sharonville14,03057.1%
69Norwood19,11457.1%
69Forest Park20,02557.1%
69Fairfield44,82857.1%
69Montgomery10,85557.1%
79Athens23,39656.7%
86Munroe Falls5,00054.1%
86Fairlawn7,71154.1%
86Norton11,52454.1%
86Macedonia12,15254.1%
86New Franklin13,84354.1%
86Tallmadge18,33554.1%
86Hudson23,03954.1%
86Barberton24,84454.1%
86Green27,39354.1%
86Stow34,24054.1%
86Cuyahoga Falls50,90954.1%
86Akron189,24754.1%
86Twinsburg19,41054.1%
101Clayton13,27750.3%
101Germantown5,82550.3%
101Moraine6,53650.3%
101Brookville5,77950.3%
101Union7,03750.3%
101Oakwood9,45850.3%
101West Carrollton12,97650.3%
101Englewood13,35650.3%

Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 249 cities with more than 5,000 residents.

Summary

Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Ohio

Well, there you have it, the places in Ohio that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Cleveland ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.

The most liberal cities in Ohio are Cleveland, Bay Village, Middleburg Heights, Beachwood, Lyndhurst, Brecksville, Warrensville Heights, East Cleveland, Fairview Park, and University Heights.

If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Ohio. Wondering how Cleveland stacks up against a bigger name? See Cleveland, OH vs. Baltimore, MD side by side.

Nick Johnson
About the author

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 900,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

Get the SnackPack →