It’s probably happened to many of us. You relocate to a wonderful city for its cultural offerings and employment opportunities, or to a quaint town for its natural beauty and laid-back lifestyle only to learn after the fact that your new neighbors are far-right, liberal-hatin’, cross-burnin’ bubbas and boneheads. That’s not exactly to the liking of your liberal-leaning lifestyle, now is it?
A new data program by political consultant Clarity Campaigns could help you better select particular areas in towns and cities the next time you move, though, or simply for vacation for business travel even for your next political campaign. Says Clarity:
No matter where you live, it’s a diverse world out there, and you’ll find people who feel the same way you do in every state.
Clarity’s “What town matches my politics” site lets you find those folks before you wander. It identifies the most liberal and most conservative places in all 50 states, using personalization tools that can help you select locations with populations that are more likely to align with your stances and beliefs.
Just answer seven simple questions, which include topics of political party identification and personal opinions on abortion, gun control, and government spending. After selecting your responses, along with indicating any preference for urban surroundings (over more suburban/rural areas), Clarity Campaigns gives you the “best fit” locations in a selected state, down to specific zip code, based on the percentage of other residents who hold those same stances.
So if you’re a lefty visiting Virginia, try Alexandria and Arlington to rub elbows with liberal-leaning locals. Moving to Maine? Your preference could be Portland, according to Clarity’s data. Got a hankering for Houston? Stick to the southeast side, the zip codes of which are home to folks more likely to share your opinions. And if you’re campaigning in Colorado, the northeast area of Boulder could be your best bet.
As for your current state of residence, what’s the most liberal town or city? Visit Clarity’s site to find out!
