These Are The 10 Most Liberal Cities In Virginia For 2019


We used science and data to determine which cities in Virginia probably voted for Obama.

RoadSnacks is reader-supported. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2019. This is our third time ranking the most liberal places to live in Virginia.

Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.

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 Old Dominion?

In order to do so, we turned our sites on measuring how each city in Virginia 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, Bluefield is the most conservative city in Virginia 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 Virginia.

And if you already knew these places were liberal, check out some more reading about Virginia and the most lberal places in the country:

How we determined the most liberal cities in Virginia for 2019

We started by making a list of every city in Virginia over 5,000 people based on the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (The most recent data). That left us with 62 cities and towns.

We then measured the voting record and donation data to determine which places lean the most rightward in their allegiances by:

  1. Percentage Of Registered Democrats
  2. # Of Contributions To Democrats Per Capita
  3. $ Amount Contributed To Democrats Per Capita

Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 62 for each of the criteria where number one was the most liberal.

The winner, Petersburg, is “The Most liberal City in Virginia For 2019”.

Let’s go through these liberal places, shall we?

The 10 Most liberal Places In Virginia For 2019

Petersburg, VA

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 32,037
Percent Democrat: 87.2%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $2.45
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.02
More on Petersburg: PhotosData

Petersburg is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,420. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. It is located on the Appomattox River and 21 miles south of the state capital of Richmond. The city’s unique industrial past and its location as a transportation hub combined to create wealth for Virginia and the region.

Charlottesville, VA

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 46,487
Percent Democrat: 79.7%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $130.36
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.43
More on Charlottesville: PhotosData

Charlottesville, colloquially known as Cville by locals, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2016, an estimated 46,912 people lived within the city limits. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. This means a Charlottesville resident will list the City of Charlottesville as both their county and city on official paperwork. It is named after the British Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Charlottesville with the County of Albemarle for statistical purposes, bringing its steadily growing population to approximately 150,000. Charlottesville is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area, which includes Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson counties.

Richmond, VA

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 220,892
Percent Democrat: 78.6%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $17.05
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.1
More on Richmond: PhotosData

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond Region. It was incorporated in 1742, and has been an independent city since 1871.

Alexandria, VA

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 154,710
Percent Democrat: 75.6%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $75.51
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.28
More on Alexandria: PhotosData

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 139,966, and in 2016, the population was estimated to be 155,810. Located along the western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 7 miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.

Falls Church, VA

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,843
Percent Democrat: 75.0%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $280.32
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 1.22
More on Falls Church: PhotosData

Falls Church is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,332. The estimated population in 2015 was 13,892. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Falls Church has the lowest level of poverty of any independent city or county in the United States.

Norfolk, VA

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 245,752
Percent Democrat: 68.4%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $6.32
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.03
More on Norfolk: PhotosData

Norfolk is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 242,803; in 2015, the population was estimated to be 247,189 making it the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach.

Williamsburg, VA

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 14,817
Percent Democrat: 68.3%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $47.9
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.7
More on Williamsburg: PhotosData

Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691.

Hampton, VA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 136,255
Percent Democrat: 66.3%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $1.92
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.03
More on Hampton: PhotosData

Hampton is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the population was 137,436.

Portsmouth, VA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 95,536
Percent Democrat: 65.9%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $1.25
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.02
More on Portsmouth: PhotosData

Portsmouth is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 95,535. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.

Emporia, VA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 5,495
Percent Democrat: 64.7%
$ Democrat Amount Per Capita: $0.48
# Democrat Contributions Per Capita: 0.0
More on Emporia: PhotosData

Emporia is an independent city located within the confines of Greensville County, Virginia, United States. It and a predecessor town have been the county seat of Greensville County since 1791. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,927, making it the second-least populous city in Virginia. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Emporia with surrounding Greensville county for statistical purposes.

Summing Up The Liberal Snowflakes in Virginia

Well there you have it, the places in Virginia that have the highest number of liberals per capita, with Petersburg ranking as the least conservative in the entire state.

If you’re curious, here are the least liberal cities in Virginia:

  1. Bluefield
  2. Richlands
  3. Big Stone Gap

For more Virginia reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Most Liberal Places In Virginia

Rank City Population % Liberal
1 Petersburg, VA 32,037 87.2%
2 Charlottesville, VA 46,487 79.7%
3 Richmond, VA 220,892 78.6%
4 Alexandria, VA 154,710 75.6%
5 Falls Church, VA 13,843 75.0%
6 Norfolk, VA 245,752 68.4%
7 Williamsburg, VA 14,817 68.3%
8 Hampton, VA 136,255 66.3%
9 Portsmouth, VA 95,536 65.9%
10 Emporia, VA 5,495 64.7%
11 Herndon, VA 24,545 64.4%
12 Vienna, VA 16,474 64.4%
13 Franklin, VA 8,334 62.0%
14 Lexington, VA 7,113 61.4%
15 Fairfax, VA 23,580 61.2%
16 Manassas Park, VA 16,117 61.2%
17 Newport News, VA 180,775 60.3%
18 Martinsville, VA 13,256 59.8%
19 Fredericksburg, VA 28,135 59.6%
20 Danville, VA 41,911 58.4%
21 Dumfries, VA 5,216 57.6%
22 Harrisonburg, VA 53,064 56.8%
23 Roanoke, VA 99,572 56.5%
24 Purcellville, VA 9,217 55.1%
25 Leesburg, VA 51,015 55.1%
26 Manassas, VA 41,379 54.7%
27 Suffolk, VA 88,057 53.8%
28 Hopewell, VA 22,353 52.4%
29 Farmville, VA 8,452 50.2%
30 Winchester, VA 27,516 48.4%
31 Radford, VA 17,380 48.1%
32 Staunton, VA 24,273 47.4%
33 Chesapeake, VA 235,410 46.7%
34 Christiansburg, VA 21,892 46.5%
35 Blacksburg, VA 44,079 46.5%
36 Virginia Beach, VA 450,057 44.8%
37 Lynchburg, VA 79,237 41.5%
38 Waynesboro, VA 21,620 40.9%
39 South Boston, VA 7,887 40.6%
40 Covington, VA 5,675 38.4%
41 Smithfield, VA 8,262 37.4%
42 Culpeper, VA 17,882 34.9%
43 Warrenton, VA 9,854 34.6%
44 Salem, VA 25,521 34.4%
45 Vinton, VA 8,069 33.4%
46 Ashland, VA 7,554 30.9%
47 Front Royal, VA 15,027 28.8%
48 Buena Vista, VA 6,495 28.8%
49 Galax, VA 6,788 28.7%
50 Colonial Heights, VA 17,582 28.0%
51 Pulaski, VA 8,860 27.5%
52 Bristol, VA 17,077 26.1%
53 Strasburg, VA 6,570 25.7%
54 Woodstock, VA 5,169 25.7%
55 Bridgewater, VA 5,930 25.0%
56 Poquoson, VA 12,022 22.3%
57 Abingdon, VA 8,044 21.5%
58 Wytheville, VA 8,041 20.8%
59 Marion, VA 5,814 20.7%
60 Big Stone Gap, VA 5,395 17.8%
61 Richlands, VA 5,513 15.6%
62 Bluefield, VA 5,058 15.6%