UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#8. Mercer Island
Considered one of the wealthiest suburbs of the Seattle area, Mercer Island offers a liberal-friendly environment for its residents. Residents tend to mind their own business when it comes to social issues such as same-sex marriage, and don’t mind paying for quality of life amenities like parks, biking trails and extra school programs. Locals view themselves as a bit more conservative than their counterparts in Seattle, but compared to many Republican strongholds, Mercer Island is very much to the left of center. The last time a Republican presidential candidate won the vote here was in 1984.
Nine-term Congressman Adam Smith represents Washington’s 9th Congressional District. Smith, a rank-and-file Democrat according to GovTrack, is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, which calls itself a pro-growth, fiscally responsible wing of the Democratic Party.
Residents here are likely to …
- drive a Subaru.
- eat at Qdoba.
- shop at REI.
- watch The Newsroom.
- read Time magazine.