Greenest Cities in America

“Green” living means a choice to engage in cleaner, more sustainable habits in order to preserve the planet as much as possible. Nearly three in four Americans believe that “the country should do whatever it takes to protect the environment.” And a majority of Americans think the government is currently doing too little to improve water and air quality (69% and 64%, respectively).

The Trump administration has recently changed standards for the coal industry, rolling back regulations on coal plant emissions. On the other hand, while many people expected solar power to struggle under new tariffs aimed at goods manufactured abroad, one of the largest solar power companies recently received an exemption. As a result, its stock has soared.

Apart from employing Americans, clean energy and other “green” practices, such as recycling programs and urban agriculture, benefit the environment and public health, all of which contribute to America’s bottom line, according to many experts. Recognizing those advantages, cities across the U.S. have increased their sustainability efforts and benefited economically.

To determine the cities promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 26 key “green” indicators. Our data set ranges from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to number of smart-energy policies and initiatives to green job opportunities. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

Main Findings

 

 

Green Cities in the U.S.

Overall Rank (1 = Greenest)	City	Total Score	‘Environment’ Rank	‘Transportation’ Rank	‘Energy Sources’ Rank	‘Lifestyle & Policy’ Rank
1	San Diego, CA	72.53	4	19	12	19
2	San Francisco, CA	72.14	6	9	20	2
3	Washington, DC	70.39	35	6	17	1
4	Irvine, CA	68.97	7	27	1	7
5	San Jose, CA	68.69	10	24	13	21
6	Honolulu, HI	68.41	5	2	24	5
7	Fremont, CA	67.59	2	52	1	32
8	Seattle, WA	66.91	25	12	21	4
9	Sacramento, CA	66.06	38	4	19	9
10	Portland, OR	65.19	59	8	18	3
11	Oakland, CA	63.83	14	43	1	23
12	Minneapolis, MN	62.61	24	1	36	30
13	Madison, WI	61.58	9	3	67	10
14	St. Paul, MN	61.10	31	30	25	8
15	Boston, MA	60.94	13	7	41	20
16	San Bernardino, CA	60.84	44	37	1	24
17	Buffalo, NY	60.35	28	11	35	26
18	Los Angeles, CA	59.60	67	39	15	31
19	Chula Vista, CA	58.48	32	53	1	75
20	Austin, TX	58.44	19	32	40	16
21	New York, NY	58.37	46	31	31	12
22	Riverside, CA	56.13	94	67	16	14
23	Santa Ana, CA	55.93	69	55	1	43
24	Long Beach, CA	55.87	75	73	1	25
25	Anaheim, CA	55.38	68	71	1	35
26	Denver, CO	55.12	97	14	22	27
27	Albuquerque, NM	54.97	37	28	39	34
28	Orlando, FL	54.65	39	5	77	6
29	Cincinnati, OH	54.20	8	13	92	18
30	Stockton, CA	54.04	82	65	1	41
31	Fresno, CA	53.75	88	40	1	57
32	Reno, NV	53.37	55	38	26	37
33	Tucson, AZ	53.22	33	23	56	58
34	Las Vegas, NV	52.84	96	15	32	28
35	Anchorage, AK	52.34	23	66	34	45
36	Atlanta, GA	52.32	49	17	66	13
37	Boise, ID	52.16	93	18	23	69
38	Tampa, FL	51.85	30	21	81	17
39	Scottsdale, AZ	51.60	16	64	56	67
40	El Paso, TX	51.55	12	50	63	64
41	Philadelphia, PA	51.50	34	20	68	29
42	Greensboro, NC	51.32	20	33	70	65
43	Aurora, CO	51.23	83	29	29	72
44	Lincoln, NE	51.08	40	48	50	73
45	Phoenix, AZ	50.97	74	47	37	49
46	Indianapolis, IN	50.83	17	70	51	63
47	Colorado Springs, CO	50.83	58	78	29	40
48	San Antonio, TX	50.77	47	56	38	68
49	Chesapeake, VA	50.36	1	96	88	77
50	Garland, TX	49.96	27	57	43	97
51	New Orleans, LA	49.95	21	35	64	94
52	North Las Vegas, NV	49.89	57	86	26	87
53	Wichita, KS	49.54	43	93	33	95
54	Milwaukee, WI	49.52	70	25	73	15
55	Raleigh, NC	49.25	11	75	76	62
56	Lubbock, TX	48.90	60	51	43	74
57	Bakersfield, CA	48.72	98	68	1	61
58	Charlotte, NC	48.56	15	54	82	56
59	Durham, NC	48.53	36	62	70	38
60	Kansas City, MO	48.29	45	26	65	71
61	Baltimore, MD	48.16	92	22	55	22
62	Jersey City, NJ	48.13	63	10	98	55
63	Norfolk, VA	47.92	29	90	88	48
64	Plano, TX	47.85	53	92	43	42
65	Winston-Salem, NC	47.71	42	77	70	60
66	Miami, FL	47.42	66	16	99	11
67	Pittsburgh, PA	46.98	51	49	74	36
68	Birmingham, AL	46.87	18	42	95	39
69	Henderson, NV	46.86	84	89	26	84
70	Nashville, TN	46.74	26	58	78	76
71	Tulsa, OK	46.45	99	46	14	98
72	Irving, TX	46.31	50	97	43	91
73	Chicago, IL	45.94	79	44	62	46
74	Arlington, TX	45.85	22	100	43	89
75	Omaha, NE	45.67	56	41	69	91
76	St. Petersburg, FL	45.33	48	82	96	59
77	Fort Worth, TX	45.16	61	76	52	80
78	Oklahoma City, OK	45.14	87	59	42	96
79	Newark, NJ	44.81	71	61	75	51
80	Houston, TX	44.79	65	85	53	70
81	Chandler, AZ	44.57	78	91	56	52
82	Dallas, TX	44.46	72	69	54	86
82	Hialeah, FL	44.46	52	87	96	44
84	Virginia Beach, VA	43.94	3	98	90	66
85	Fort Wayne, IN	43.68	54	79	80	81
86	Laredo, TX	43.43	90	72	43	90
87	Columbus, OH	42.76	62	45	79	79
88	Louisville, KY	42.55	85	60	85	33
89	Glendale, AZ	42.53	77	88	56	88
90	Jacksonville, FL	42.38	41	94	83	93
91	Gilbert, AZ	42.21	76	99	56	83
92	Cleveland, OH	42.02	86	34	86	53
93	Mesa, AZ	41.97	91	84	56	78
94	Lexington-Fayette, KY	41.83	89	74	91	50
95	Detroit, MI	41.57	73	36	94	85
96	Memphis, TN	40.98	64	63	87	100
97	Toledo, OH	40.31	81	83	100	47
98	St. Louis, MO	39.53	80	80	84	54
99	Corpus Christi, TX	36.53	100	81	43	82
100	Baton Rouge, LA	36.07	95	95	93	99

Ask the Experts

Environmental sustainability is one of the biggest challenges of our time. For additional insight, we asked a panel of experts to share their advice on living a greener lifestyle. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:

1. Should cities invest in “going green”? What are the benefits of doing so?
2. What types of “green” policies or investments offer the biggest bang for the buck?
3. How can state and local authorities attract renewable-energy companies and other “green” businesses?
4. What effect might the Trump administration approach to managing the EPA have on the environmental health of cities?
5. What are some easy ways individuals can “go green” without much cost or effort?
6. In evaluating the greenest cities, what are the top five indicators?

Methodology

In order to determine the greenest cities in America, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across four key dimensions: 1) Environment, 2) Transportation, 3) Energy Sources and 4) Lifestyle & Policy.

We evaluated those dimensions using 26 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the greenest practices and policies. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Although recycling is vital to the sustainability efforts of each city, the types and sizes of recycling facilities vary widely by city. We therefore were unable to include — due to the lack of comparable city-level data — metrics that either measure the availability of recycling programs or the amount of waste recycled in each city.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case and excluded surrounding cities in the metro area.

Environment – Total Points: 40

• Median Air-Quality Index: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Greenhouse-Gas Emissions per Capita: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Urban Heat Island Effect: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the average daily urban-regional temperature differences over a 10-year period.
• Green Space: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the percentage of parkland.
• Water Quality: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Daily Water Consumption per Capita: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Share of Green Hotels: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Population Density (Proxy for Overpopulation): Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Light Pollution Level: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)

Transportation – Total Points: 25

• Share of Commuters Who Drive Alone: Double Weight (~4.55 Points)
  Note: This metric includes commuters who do not carpool, walk, ride public transit or bike.
• Average Commute Time by Car: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
• Walk Score: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
• Bike Score: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
• Miles of Bicycle Lanes: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
• Presence of Bike-Sharing Program: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
• Annual Excess Fuel Consumption: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
  Note: This metric measures gallons per auto commuter and was used as a proxy for “congestion level.”
• Intersection Density: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
• Accessibility of Jobs by Public Transit: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the number of jobs that are accessible by a 30-minute transit ride per 100 civilian employed population.
• Alternative-Fuel Stations per Capita: Full Weight (~2.27 Points)

Energy Sources – Total Points: 20

• Share of Electricity from Renewable Sources: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)
• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installations per Capita: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
• Number of Smart-Energy Policies & Initiatives: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

Lifestyle & Policy – Total Points: 15

• Farmers Markets & CSA Programs per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
  Note: “CSA” refers to community-supported agriculture.
• Community Garden Plots per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• “Green” Job Opportunities: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
• Number of Local Programs Promoting Green-Energy Use: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)

 

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Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, Trust for Public Land, County Health Rankings, U.S. Department of Energy - The Alternative Fuels Data Center, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Environment America, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Walk Score, Alliance for Biking & Walking, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Bikeshare.com, Indeed, Climate Central, U.S. Geological Survey, TripAdvisor, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and Yelp.

Image: Sylwia Brataniec / Shutterstock.com

Community Discussion

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@rod

October 16, 2018

Nearly three-out-of-four Americans think the government should do "whatever it takes to protect the environment." Ask an additional question: "Would you pay your utility $150 more each month to go green?" Watch your numbers fall off- the- cliff! The goof is: Americans have been paying $150 a month for years - just to the wrong team! We have been supporting the "Black Soot" team instead of the "Green Team." Here in Connecticut, my utility bills have been only $9.21 a month because I have a solar system. Wouldn't most Americans prefer to be on the "Green Team?" Thanks, Rod Ferguson, Newington, CT

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