In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in North Carolina, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to North Carolina and want to know where the majority of North Carolinians 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 Tar Heel State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in North Carolina 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.
80.4% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. Raleigh is the second largest city in the state of North Carolina, behind only Charlotte. Raleigh is known as the “City of Oaks” for its many oak trees, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of 142.8 square miles. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population as 451,066 as of July 1, 2015. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. The city of Raleigh is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
80.4% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population to be 251,893 as of July 1, 2014, making it the 4th-most populous city in North Carolina, and the 78th-most populous city in the United States. Durham is the core of the four-county Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area, which has a population of 542,710 as of U.S. Census 2014 Population Estimates. The US Office of Management and Budget also includes Durham as a part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area, which has a population of 2,037,430 as of U.S. Census 2014 Population Estimates.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
80.4% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Orange County, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange and Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 57,233 in the 2010 census, making Chapel Hill the 15th-largest city in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state capital, Raleigh, make up the corners of the Research Triangle, with a total population of 1,998,808.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
80.4% Democrat vote · #2 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Wake County, North Carolina
Morrisville is a town located in both Wake and Durham counties of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 18,576 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town’s population to be 21,932 as of July 1, 2013. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau’s Combined Statistical Area of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,565,223 as of July 1, 2006, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area portion estimated at 994,551 residents. The U.S. headquarters of Chinese multinational Lenovo are located in the municipal limits.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
74.8% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Orange County, North Carolina
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 19,582 at the 2010 census. The town, which is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill combined statistical area, was named after North Carolina industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
74.8% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Orange County, North Carolina
Mebane is a city located mostly in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, and partly in Orange County, North Carolina. The town was named for Alexander Mebane, an American Revolutionary War general and member of the U.S. Congress. It was incorporated as “Mebanesville” in 1881, and in 1883 the name was changed to “Mebane”. It was incorporated as a city in 1987. The population as of the 2010 census was 11,393. Mebane is one of the fastest growing municipalities in North Carolina.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
74.8% Democrat vote · #7 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Orange County, North Carolina
The town of Hillsborough is the county seat of Orange County, North Carolina. The population was 6,087 in 2010.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.7% Democrat vote · #14 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Union County, North Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.7% Democrat vote · #14 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Davidson is a lakeside town on Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 10,944 at the 2010 census. It is home to Davidson College. The town is centered on the college from which it takes its name.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.7% Democrat vote · #14 most liberal in North Carolina
Located in
Union County, North Carolina
Stallings is a suburban town in Union and Mecklenburg counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 13,831 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is North Carolina’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the liberal strongholds in North Carolina
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most liberal cities in North Carolina for 2026
To find the most liberal places in North Carolina, 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 North Carolina over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 142 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, Raleigh, is “The Most liberal City in North Carolina For 2026”. The most conservative place in North Carolina was Trinity.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in North Carolina.
The full plate
Most Liberal Places In North Carolina
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Raleigh | 481,031 | 80.4% |
| 2 | Durham | 291,467 | 80.4% |
| 2 | Chapel Hill | 61,607 | 80.4% |
| 2 | Morrisville | 31,422 | 80.4% |
| 6 | Carrboro | 21,204 | 74.8% |
| 6 | Mebane | 19,538 | 74.8% |
| 6 | Hillsborough | 9,724 | 74.8% |
| 12 | Weddington | 13,805 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Davidson | 15,660 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Stallings | 16,886 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Mint Hill | 27,556 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Huntersville | 63,969 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Cornelius | 32,783 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Pineville | 11,055 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Charlotte | 903,844 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Matthews | 30,577 | 66.7% |
| 17 | Tarboro | 10,770 | 63.2% |
| 17 | Rocky Mount | 54,297 | 63.2% |
| 24 | Cary | 179,306 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Apex | 70,630 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Wake Forest | 52,844 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Holly Springs | 45,248 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Fuquay-Varina | 40,485 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Garner | 34,473 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Clayton | 29,320 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Knightdale | 20,214 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Wendell | 13,064 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Rolesville | 10,766 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Zebulon | 8,711 | 62.3% |
| 24 | Angier | 6,241 | 62.3% |
| 35 | Pleasant Garden | 5,060 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Stokesdale | 6,004 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Oak Ridge | 7,744 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Gibsonville | 9,467 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Summerfield | 11,116 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Archdale | 12,087 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Kernersville | 27,830 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Burlington | 59,610 | 60.8% |
| 35 | High Point | 116,245 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Greensboro | 301,198 | 60.8% |
| 41 | Roanoke Rapids | 14,856 | 60.3% |
| 43 | Black Mountain | 8,513 | 59.7% |
| 43 | Woodfin | 8,048 | 59.7% |
| 43 | Asheville | 94,535 | 59.7% |
| 45 | Henderson | 14,885 | 59.2% |
| 47 | Fayetteville | 210,815 | 57.4% |
| 47 | Hope Mills | 17,939 | 57.4% |
| 47 | Spring Lake | 11,573 | 57.4% |
| 51 | King | 7,408 | 56.2% |
| 51 | Winston-Salem | 252,037 | 56.2% |
| 51 | Clemmons | 21,871 | 56.2% |
| 51 | Lewisville | 13,828 | 56.2% |
| 51 | Walke | 5,873 | 56.2% |
| 54 | Siler City | 7,995 | 55.1% |
| 56 | Greenville | 92,857 | 54.0% |
| 56 | Winterville | 10,725 | 54.0% |
| 56 | Ayden | 5,150 | 54.0% |
| 58 | Boone | 20,032 | 53.1% |
| 59 | Wilson | 48,370 | 50.9% |
| 60 | Wilmington | 120,805 | 50.2% |
| 60 | Carolina Beach | 6,745 | 50.2% |
| 62 | Nashville | 5,729 | 49.6% |
| 63 | Elizabeth City | 18,871 | 49.4% |
| 64 | Laurinburg | 15,087 | 48.6% |
| 65 | Kinston | 19,505 | 47.9% |
| 66 | Williamston | 5,112 | 47.1% |
| 67 | Oxford | 8,914 | 46.1% |
| 67 | Butner | 8,065 | 46.1% |
| 69 | Graham | 18,048 | 45.1% |
| 69 | Elon | 11,032 | 45.1% |
| 72 | Locust | 5,840 | 44.5% |
| 72 | Harrisburg | 19,633 | 44.5% |
| 72 | Concord | 108,719 | 44.5% |
| 72 | Kannapolis | 57,890 | 44.5% |
| 75 | Goldsboro | 34,383 | 43.6% |
| 76 | Rockingham | 8,967 | 42.2% |
| 76 | Hamlet | 5,961 | 42.2% |
| 78 | Sanford | 31,478 | 41.9% |
| 79 | Brevard | 7,897 | 41.4% |
| 80 | Kill Devil Hills | 7,761 | 41.0% |
| 81 | Lumberton | 18,859 | 40.3% |
| 82 | Havelock | 17,691 | 39.9% |
| 82 | New Bern | 32,734 | 39.9% |
| 85 | Hendersonville | 15,408 | 39.8% |
| 85 | Fletcher | 8,098 | 39.8% |
| 85 | Mills River | 7,281 | 39.8% |
| 87 | Roxboro | 8,182 | 38.7% |
| 88 | Clinton | 8,304 | 38.3% |
| 89 | Dunn | 8,559 | 37.9% |
| 92 | Unionville | 6,954 | 37.2% |
| 92 | Marvin | 6,692 | 37.2% |
| 92 | Wesley Chapel | 9,090 | 37.2% |
| 92 | Indian Trail | 42,036 | 37.2% |
| 92 | Monroe | 36,759 | 37.2% |
| 92 | Waxhaw | 22,275 | 37.2% |
| 97 | Smithfield | 12,116 | 37.0% |
| 97 | Selma | 6,817 | 37.0% |
| 97 | Archer Lodge | 5,186 | 37.0% |
| 101 | Leland | 29,607 | 36.9% |
| 101 | Oak Island | 9,030 | 36.9% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 142 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in North Carolina
Well, there you have it, the places in North Carolina that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Raleigh ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in North Carolina are Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Morrisville, Carrboro, Mebane, Hillsborough, Weddington, Davidson, and Stallings.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in North Carolina.
