Now that we’re starting up the election swing to decide not only our next President, but many other local statewide initiatives, it’s important to put into context the types of decisions that will be made in the coming years.
Who makes the decisions? Not the people getting elected. It’s the voters.
Specifically, we wanted to know which cities have the highest number of liberal voters in the Beaver State?
In order to do so, we turned our sites on measuring how each city in Oregon with populations greater than 5,000 voted and contributed to political campaigns in the past several years. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Democrat and gave the most to liberals where named the most liberal cities in the state.
If you’re wondering, Baker City is the most conservative city in Oregon of all those we measured.
And to be clear, we didn’t form this list based on our own 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 Oregon.
And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about Oregon and the most lberal places in the country:
How we determined the most liberal cities in Oregon for 2019
We started by making a list of every city in Oregon over 5,000 people based on the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (The most recent data). That left us with 76 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and donation data to determine which places lean the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Registered Democrats
- # Of Contributions To Democrats Per Capita
- $ Amount Contributed To Democrats Per Capita
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 76 for each of the criteria where number one was the most liberal.
The winner, Portland, is “The Most liberal City in Oregon For 2019”.
Let’s go through these liberal places, shall we?
The 10 Most liberal Places In Oregon For 2019
/10
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Multnomah County. It is a major port in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. The city covers 145 square miles and had an estimated population of 639,863 in 2016, making it the 26th most populous city in the United States, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest. Approximately 2,424,955 people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area, making it the 25th most populous MSA in the United States. Its Combined Statistical Area ranks 18th with a population of 3,160,488. Roughly 60% of Oregon’s population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.
/10
Gresham is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon, in the United States, immediately east of Portland. Though it began as a settlement in the mid-1800s, it was not officially incorporated as a city until 1905; it was named after Walter Quinton Gresham, the American Civil War general and United States Postmaster General.
/10
Troutdale is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, U.S.A., north of Gresham and east of Wood Village. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,962. The city serves as the western gateway to the Historic Columbia River Highway, the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, and the Columbia River Gorge.
/10
Fairview is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,920.
/10
Corvallis is a city in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462. Its population was estimated by the Portland Research Center to be 55,298 in 2013. Corvallis is the location of Oregon State University, a large Hewlett-Packard research campus, and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.
/10
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,167.
/10
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The city center is 7 miles west of downtown Portland in the Tualatin River Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population is 89,803. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon’s sixth-largest city. Fire protection and EMS services are provided through Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue.
/10
Tualatin is a city located primarily in Washington County in the State of Oregon. A small portion of the city is also located in neighboring Clackamas County. It is a southwestern suburb in the Portland Metropolitan Area that is located south of Tigard. The population was 26,054 at the 2010 census.
/10
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the State of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that comprise what has become known as the Silicon Forest. At the 2010 Census, the city’s population was 91,611.
/10
Sherwood is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it is a residential community in the Tualatin Valley, southwest of Portland. As of the 2010 census, Sherwood had a population of 18,194 residents. The city’s population for 2014 was estimated to be 18,978 by the U.S. Census. Sherwood was first incorporated in 1893 as a town. Originally named Smockville after its founder, James Christopher Smock, the town was given its current name by local businessman Robert Alexander in 1891, who likely named it after his hometown of Sherwood, Michigan.
Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Oregon
Well there you have it, the places in Oregon that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Portland ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.
If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Oregon:
- Baker City
- Ontario
- Prineville
For more Oregon reading, check out:
- 10 Best Places To Live In Oregon
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In Oregon
- 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Oregon
- 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Oregon
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Oregon
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Oregon
- 10 Safest Places In Oregon
- 10 Worst Places To Live In Oregon
