In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Virginia, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Virginia and want to know where the majority of Virginians 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 Old Dominion.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Virginia 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.
87.7% Democrat vote · #1 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Petersburg city, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,420. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. It is located on the Appomattox River and 21 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The city’s unique industrial past and its location as a transportation hub combined to create wealth for Virginia and the region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
85.5% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Charlottesville city, Virginia
Charlottesville, colloquially known as Cville by locals, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2016, an estimated 46,912 people lived within the city limits. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. This means a Charlottesville resident will list the City of Charlottesville as both their county and city on official paperwork. It is named after the British Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Charlottesville with the County of Albemarle for statistical purposes, bringing its steadily growing population to approximately 150,000. Charlottesville is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area, which includes Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson counties.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.9% Democrat vote · #3 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Richmond city, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond Region. It was incorporated in 1742, and has been an independent city since 1871.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
81.0% Democrat vote · #4 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Falls Church city, Virginia
Falls Church is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,332. The estimated population in 2015 was 13,892. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Falls Church has the lowest level of poverty of any independent city or county in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
80.3% Democrat vote · #5 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Alexandria city, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 139,966, and in 2016, the population was estimated to be 155,810. Located along the western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 7 miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.6% Democrat vote · #6 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Norfolk city, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 242,803; in 2015, the population was estimated to be 247,189 making it the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.1% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Hampton city, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the population was 137,436.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
69.8% Democrat vote · #8 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Fairfax County, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 23,292 at the 2010 census, which makes it the largest of three incorporated towns in the county.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
69.8% Democrat vote · #8 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Fairfax County, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to the north, and Hunter Mill road to the west.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
69.5% Democrat vote · #10 most liberal in Virginia
Located in
Williamsburg city, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Virginia’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the liberal strongholds in Virginia
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in Virginia for 2026
To find the most liberal places in Virginia, 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 Virginia over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 62 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, Petersburg, is “The Most liberal City in Virginia For 2026”. The most conservative place in Virginia was Richlands.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in Virginia.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petersburg | 33,537 | 87.7% |
| 2 | Charlottesville | 45,437 | 85.5% |
| 3 | Richmond | 229,359 | 82.9% |
| 4 | Falls Church | 14,710 | 81.0% |
| 5 | Alexandria | 156,976 | 80.3% |
| 6 | Norfolk | 233,596 | 71.6% |
| 7 | Hampton | 137,557 | 70.1% |
| 8 | Herndon | 24,672 | 69.8% |
| 8 | Vienna | 16,412 | 69.8% |
| 10 | Williamsburg | 15,798 | 69.5% |
| 11 | Portsmouth | 97,190 | 69.4% |
| 12 | Fairfax | 25,026 | 68.0% |
| 13 | Emporia | 5,547 | 67.6% |
| 14 | Fredericksburg | 28,873 | 66.1% |
| 15 | Manassas Park | 16,798 | 65.6% |
| 16 | Newport News | 184,216 | 65.3% |
| 17 | Lexington | 7,525 | 64.8% |
| 18 | Harrisonburg | 51,392 | 64.5% |
| 19 | Dumfries | 5,816 | 62.6% |
| 20 | Martinsville | 13,658 | 62.5% |
| 21 | Franklin | 8,250 | 62.1% |
| 22 | Roanoke | 98,355 | 61.8% |
| 23 | Leesburg | 49,171 | 61.5% |
| 23 | Purcellville | 8,973 | 61.5% |
| 25 | Manassas | 42,976 | 61.0% |
| 26 | Danville | 42,214 | 60.2% |
| 27 | Suffolk | 98,796 | 57.8% |
| 28 | Hopewell | 22,959 | 56.4% |
| 29 | Winchester | 27,913 | 54.6% |
| 30 | Staunton | 25,948 | 53.7% |
| 31 | Radford | 16,726 | 53.1% |
| 32 | Chesapeake | 252,583 | 52.2% |
| 33 | Farmville | 7,774 | 51.9% |
| 34 | Blacksburg | 45,446 | 51.6% |
| 34 | Christiansburg | 22,720 | 51.6% |
| 36 | Virginia Beach | 456,349 | 51.6% |
| 37 | Lynchburg | 79,497 | 49.6% |
| 38 | Waynesboro | 22,841 | 46.3% |
| 39 | South Boston | 7,853 | 42.0% |
| 40 | Warrenton | 10,176 | 40.2% |
| 41 | Smithfield | 8,834 | 40.1% |
| 42 | Salem | 25,618 | 39.4% |
| 43 | Culpeper | 20,794 | 39.2% |
| 44 | Orange | 5,066 | 38.5% |
| 45 | Vinton | 8,056 | 38.1% |
| 46 | Covington | 5,680 | 37.0% |
| 47 | Ashland | 7,772 | 35.6% |
| 48 | Colonial Heights | 18,352 | 32.4% |
| 49 | Front Royal | 15,296 | 31.2% |
| 50 | Buena Vista | 6,593 | 29.7% |
| 51 | Bristol | 16,849 | 29.6% |
| 52 | Galax | 6,726 | 29.4% |
| 53 | Strasburg | 7,214 | 28.9% |
| 53 | Woodstock | 5,871 | 28.9% |
| 55 | Bridgewater | 6,708 | 28.9% |
| 56 | Pulaski | 8,893 | 28.3% |
| 57 | Poquoson | 12,639 | 26.1% |
| 58 | Abingdon | 8,330 | 23.1% |
| 59 | Marion | 5,670 | 21.3% |
| 60 | Wytheville | 8,202 | 20.9% |
| 61 | Big Stone Gap | 5,162 | 18.7% |
| 62 | Richlands | 5,171 | 15.9% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 62 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Virginia
Well, there you have it, the places in Virginia that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Petersburg ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Virginia are Petersburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Falls Church, Alexandria, Norfolk, Hampton, Herndon, Vienna, and Williamsburg.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Virginia.
