In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in California, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to California and want to know where the majority of Californians 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 Golden State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in California 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Liberal Places In California For 2026:
If you’re wondering, Susanville is the most conservative city in California of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our biases — we relied on the cold hard data. For more on how we ran the numbers, keep on reading. Then, we’ll take a closer look at each of our top 10 most liberal cities in California.
And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about California and the most liberal places in the country:
The 10 Most Liberal Places In California For 2026
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How we determined the most liberal cities in California for 2026
To find the most liberal places in California, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most liberals.
Straight forward.
We started by making a list of every city in California over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 428 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, San Francisco, is “The Most liberal City in California For 2026”. The most conservative place in California was Susanville.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in California.
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in California
Well, there you have it, the places in California that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with San Francisco ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in California are San Francisco, San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Fairfax, and Sausalito.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in California:
- Susanville
- Corning
- Red Bluff
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
- Richest Cities In California
- Safest Places In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
- Most Expensive Places To Live In California
Most Liberal Places In California
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 830,235 | 85.3% |
| 2 | San Rafael, CA | 60,433 | 82.3% |
| 3 | Novato, CA | 52,546 | 82.3% |
| 4 | Mill Valley, CA | 14,012 | 82.3% |
| 5 | Larkspur, CA | 12,854 | 82.3% |
| 6 | San Anselmo, CA | 12,679 | 82.3% |
| 7 | Corte Madera, CA | 10,077 | 82.3% |
| 8 | Tiburon, CA | 9,012 | 82.3% |
| 9 | Fairfax, CA | 7,516 | 82.3% |
| 10 | Sausalito, CA | 7,141 | 82.3% |
| 11 | Oakland, CA | 439,418 | 80.2% |
| 12 | Fremont, CA | 228,295 | 80.2% |
| 13 | Hayward, CA | 158,801 | 80.2% |
| 14 | Berkeley, CA | 120,257 | 80.2% |
| 15 | San Leandro, CA | 87,826 | 80.2% |
| 16 | Livermore, CA | 85,522 | 80.2% |
| 17 | Alameda, CA | 77,238 | 80.2% |
| 18 | Pleasanton, CA | 76,960 | 80.2% |
| 19 | Dublin, CA | 70,803 | 80.2% |
| 20 | Union City, CA | 67,464 | 80.2% |
| 21 | Newark, CA | 46,903 | 80.2% |
| 22 | Albany, CA | 19,414 | 80.2% |
| 23 | Emeryville, CA | 13,081 | 80.2% |
| 24 | Piedmont, CA | 10,945 | 80.2% |
| 25 | Santa Cruz, CA | 61,607 | 78.9% |
| 26 | Watsonville, CA | 51,712 | 78.9% |
| 27 | Scotts Valley, CA | 12,044 | 78.9% |
| 28 | Capitola, CA | 9,689 | 78.9% |
| 29 | San Mateo, CA | 103,105 | 77.9% |
| 30 | Daly City, CA | 101,964 | 77.9% |
| 31 | Redwood City, CA | 82,447 | 77.9% |
| 32 | South San Francisco, CA | 64,305 | 77.9% |
| 33 | San Bruno, CA | 42,307 | 77.9% |
| 34 | Pacifica, CA | 37,261 | 77.9% |
| 35 | Foster City, CA | 32,792 | 77.9% |
| 36 | Menlo Park, CA | 32,727 | 77.9% |
| 37 | Burlingame, CA | 30,525 | 77.9% |
| 38 | San Carlos, CA | 29,614 | 77.9% |
| 39 | East Palo Alto, CA | 29,069 | 77.9% |
| 40 | Belmont, CA | 27,337 | 77.9% |
| 41 | Millbrae, CA | 22,689 | 77.9% |
| 42 | Half Moon Bay, CA | 11,391 | 77.9% |
| 43 | Hillsborough, CA | 11,099 | 77.9% |
| 44 | Atherton, CA | 6,993 | 77.9% |
| 45 | Woodside, CA | 5,126 | 77.9% |
| 46 | Santa Rosa, CA | 177,090 | 74.5% |
| 47 | Petaluma, CA | 59,247 | 74.5% |
| 48 | Rohnert Park, CA | 44,575 | 74.5% |
| 49 | Windsor, CA | 26,081 | 74.5% |
| 50 | Healdsburg, CA | 11,243 | 74.5% |