In this article, we will explore some of the most liberal cities in Kentucky, where progressive ideas and inclusive attitudes flourish.
If you’re looking to move to Kentucky and want to know where the majority of Kentuckians 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 Bluegrass State.
To do so, we analyzed how the people in each city in Kentucky 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 Kentucky For 2024:
- Lexington-Fayette urban county)
- Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance))
- Jeffersontown
- St. Matthews
- Shively
- Lyndon
- Middletown
- Douglass Hills
- Frankfort
- Versailles
If you’re wondering, London is the most conservative city in Kentucky 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 Kentucky.
And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about Kentucky and the most liberal places in the country:
The 10 Most Liberal Places In Kentucky For 2024
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More on Lexington-Fayette Urban County: Real Estate
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More on Louisville/jefferson County Metro Government (Balance): Real Estate
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How we determined the most liberal cities in Kentucky for 2024
To find the most liberal places in Kentucky, 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 Kentucky over 5,000 people based on the 2018-2022 American Community Survey. That left us with 80 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, Lexington-Fayette Urban County, is “The Most liberal City in Kentucky For 2024”. The most conservative place in Kentucky was London.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most liberal places to live in Kentucky.
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Kentucky
Well, there you have it, the places in Kentucky that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Lexington-Fayette Urban County ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
The most liberal cities in Kentucky are Lexington-Fayette urban county, Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Jeffersontown, St. Matthews, Shively, Lyndon, Middletown, Douglass Hills, Frankfort, and Versailles.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Kentucky:
- London
- Williamsburg
- Corbin
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Kentucky
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kentucky
- Most Dangerous Cities In Kentucky
- Richest Cities In Kentucky
- Safest Places In Kentucky
- Worst Places To Live In Kentucky
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Kentucky
Most Liberal Places In Kentucky
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington-Fayette Urban County, KY | 321,276 | 59.3% |
| 2 | Louisville/jefferson County Metro Government (Balance), KY | 629,176 | 59.1% |
| 3 | Jeffersontown, KY | 28,796 | 59.1% |
| 4 | St. Matthews, KY | 17,511 | 59.1% |
| 5 | Shively, KY | 15,595 | 59.1% |
| 6 | Lyndon, KY | 10,997 | 59.1% |
| 7 | Middletown, KY | 9,594 | 59.1% |
| 8 | Douglass Hills, KY | 5,466 | 59.1% |
| 9 | Frankfort, KY | 28,460 | 48.5% |
| 10 | Versailles, KY | 10,297 | 42.9% |
| 11 | Bowling Green, KY | 72,385 | 40.6% |
| 12 | Fort Thomas, KY | 17,310 | 39.7% |
| 13 | Newport, KY | 14,190 | 39.7% |
| 14 | Alexandria, KY | 10,322 | 39.7% |
| 15 | Highland Heights, KY | 6,566 | 39.7% |
| 16 | Cold Spring, KY | 6,258 | 39.7% |
| 17 | Dayton, KY | 5,674 | 39.7% |
| 18 | Bellevue, KY | 5,596 | 39.7% |
| 19 | Covington, KY | 40,923 | 39.3% |
| 20 | Independence, KY | 28,722 | 39.3% |
| 21 | Erlanger, KY | 19,577 | 39.3% |
| 22 | Elsmere, KY | 9,126 | 39.3% |
| 23 | Fort Mitchell, KY | 8,667 | 39.3% |
| 24 | Edgewood, KY | 8,447 | 39.3% |
| 25 | Villa Hills, KY | 7,331 | 39.3% |
| 26 | Taylor Mill, KY | 6,851 | 39.3% |
| 27 | Fort Wright, KY | 5,841 | 39.3% |
| 28 | Walton, KY | 5,492 | 39.3% |
| 29 | Morehead, KY | 7,001 | 38.6% |
| 30 | La Grange, KY | 10,073 | 38.2% |
| 31 | Crestwood, KY | 6,175 | 38.2% |
| 32 | Elizabethtown, KY | 31,425 | 37.0% |
| 33 | Radcliff, KY | 22,981 | 37.0% |
| 34 | Vine Grove, KY | 6,611 | 37.0% |
| 35 | Henderson, KY | 28,166 | 36.9% |
| 36 | Danville, KY | 17,191 | 36.6% |
| 37 | Georgetown, KY | 37,510 | 36.5% |
| 38 | Richmond, KY | 34,883 | 35.5% |
| 39 | Berea, KY | 15,404 | 35.5% |
| 40 | Owensboro, KY | 60,019 | 35.1% |
| 41 | Hopkinsville, KY | 31,042 | 34.8% |
| 42 | Oak Grove, KY | 7,895 | 34.8% |
| 43 | Shelbyville, KY | 17,239 | 34.3% |
| 44 | Paris, KY | 10,143 | 34.2% |
| 45 | Paducah, KY | 26,869 | 33.4% |
| 46 | Murray, KY | 17,414 | 33.2% |
| 47 | Winchester, KY | 19,080 | 33.1% |
| 48 | Nicholasville, KY | 31,352 | 32.6% |
| 49 | Wilmore, KY | 6,017 | 32.6% |
| 50 | Ashland, KY | 21,542 | 32.6% |
