UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#2. Bend
Voters in Bend, Ore., typically back Republican candidates in major elections, yet many residents hold more liberal views when it comes to the environment, health care and civil rights, such as marriage equality. Many residents are quick to tell visitors that political views in Bend tend to hold the middle ground. Oregon consistently ranks among the top liberal states in the country. The state’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Bend, has largely supported the GOP.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden has held the district’s seat since 1999. He is the only Republican member of Congress from Oregon. The conservative group Club for Growth criticized Walden in 2013, saying he had a “liberal record.” Walden wrote and helped pass bipartisan legislation to protect forests. Yet, Walden has supported traditional conservative values such as opposing same-sex marriage and deregulation of marijuana.
Residents here are likely to …
- drive a Subaru.
- shop at REI.
- watch The Bachelorette.
- read Good Housekeeping.