In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Illinois, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Illinois and want to know where the majority of Illinoisans 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 Prairie State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Illinois 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 Illinois For 2026:
If you’re wondering, Vandalia is the most conservative city in Illinois 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 Illinois.
And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about Illinois and the most liberal places in the country:
The 10 Most Liberal Places In Illinois For 2026
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How we determined the most liberal cities in Illinois for 2026
To find the most liberal places in Illinois, 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 Illinois over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 330 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, Chicago, is “The Most liberal City in Illinois For 2026”. The most conservative place in Illinois was Vandalia.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most liberal places to live in Illinois.
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Illinois
Well, there you have it, the places in Illinois that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Chicago ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Illinois are Chicago, Elgin, Cicero, Schaumburg, Evanston, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines, and Orland Park.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Illinois:
- Vandalia
- Effingham
- Mount Carmel
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Illinois
Most Liberal Places In Illinois
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | 2,711,226 | 74.3% |
| 2 | Elgin, IL | 114,934 | 74.3% |
| 3 | Cicero, IL | 82,797 | 74.3% |
| 4 | Schaumburg, IL | 76,868 | 74.3% |
| 5 | Evanston, IL | 76,340 | 74.3% |
| 6 | Arlington Heights, IL | 76,005 | 74.3% |
| 7 | Palatine, IL | 66,293 | 74.3% |
| 8 | Skokie, IL | 66,219 | 74.3% |
| 9 | Des Plaines, IL | 59,156 | 74.3% |
| 10 | Orland Park, IL | 57,916 | 74.3% |
| 11 | Oak Lawn, IL | 56,861 | 74.3% |
| 12 | Berwyn, IL | 55,595 | 74.3% |
| 13 | Mount Prospect, IL | 55,472 | 74.3% |
| 14 | Tinley Park, IL | 54,842 | 74.3% |
| 15 | Oak Park, IL | 53,292 | 74.3% |
| 16 | Hoffman Estates, IL | 51,175 | 74.3% |
| 17 | Glenview, IL | 47,752 | 74.3% |
| 18 | Elmhurst, IL | 45,671 | 74.3% |
| 19 | Buffalo Grove, IL | 42,891 | 74.3% |
| 20 | Bartlett, IL | 40,501 | 74.3% |
| 21 | Streamwood, IL | 39,001 | 74.3% |
| 22 | Park Ridge, IL | 38,667 | 74.3% |
| 23 | Wheeling, IL | 38,433 | 74.3% |
| 24 | Hanover Park, IL | 36,732 | 74.3% |
| 25 | Calumet City, IL | 35,100 | 74.3% |
| 26 | Northbrook, IL | 34,585 | 74.3% |
| 27 | Woodridge, IL | 33,941 | 74.3% |
| 28 | Elk Grove Village, IL | 31,987 | 74.3% |
| 29 | Niles, IL | 30,064 | 74.3% |
| 30 | Burbank, IL | 28,739 | 74.3% |
| 31 | Lansing, IL | 28,284 | 74.3% |
| 32 | Wilmette, IL | 27,503 | 74.3% |
| 33 | Oak Forest, IL | 26,805 | 74.3% |
| 34 | Chicago Heights, IL | 26,736 | 74.3% |
| 35 | Morton Grove, IL | 24,619 | 74.3% |
| 36 | Melrose Park, IL | 24,549 | 74.3% |
| 37 | Homer Glen, IL | 24,529 | 74.3% |
| 38 | Rolling Meadows, IL | 24,027 | 74.3% |
| 39 | Elmwood Park, IL | 23,868 | 74.3% |
| 40 | Maywood, IL | 23,201 | 74.3% |
| 41 | Roselle, IL | 22,752 | 74.3% |
| 42 | Blue Island, IL | 21,741 | 74.3% |
| 43 | Park Forest, IL | 21,156 | 74.3% |
| 44 | South Holland, IL | 20,911 | 74.3% |
| 45 | Dolton, IL | 20,825 | 74.3% |
| 46 | Frankfort, IL | 20,651 | 74.3% |
| 47 | Harvey, IL | 20,230 | 74.3% |
| 48 | Deerfield, IL | 19,518 | 74.3% |
| 49 | Evergreen Park, IL | 19,420 | 74.3% |
| 50 | Brookfield, IL | 19,331 | 74.3% |