UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#4. Boulder
Before Boulder became a destination for entrepreneurs and tech startups, it was a town full of hippies. While the city has become more mainstream, left-leaning values remain a dominate part of the political landscape. The last time a Republican presidential candidate won the majority vote in Boulder was in 1988. The University of Colorado Boulder plays a big part in maintaining the city’s liberal mindset, with more than 32,000 college students occupying the town. Though not as well attended as say a UC football game, events advocating the recreational use of marijuana have drawn large crowds in Boulder.
Rep. Jared Polis, considered a moderate Democrat by GovTrack, strongly supports education reform, environmental protection and immigration reform. Some of Polis’ most recently sponsored bills include a measure to prohibit employers from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and the designation of more land in Colorado as preserved. Polis serves as national chair for candidate services in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and previously chaired the DCCC’s Red to Blue program.
Residents here are likely too …
- drive a Subaru.
- eat at Qdoba.
- shop at REI.
- watch The Newsroom.
- read Time magazine.