The personal-finance website WalletHub just released its report 2019’s Greenest Cities in America. Where does your city rank in the report?
To determine which cities promote a “green” lifestyle, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 28 key indicators of environmental friendliness and sustainability. The data set ranges from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to green job opportunities per capita to the number of smart-energy policies and initiatives.
| Greenest Cities in America | Least Green Cities in America | |
| 1. San Francisco, CA | 91. Virginia Beach, VA | |
| 2. San Diego, CA | 92. Jacksonville, FL | |
| 3. Irvine, CA | 93. Detroit, MI | |
| 4. Washington, DC | 94. Cleveland, OH | |
| 5. San Jose, CA | 95. Gilbert, AZ | |
| 6. Seattle, WA | 96. Mesa, AZ | |
| 7. Fremont, CA | 97. Lexington-Fayette, KY | |
| 8. Sacramento, CA | 98. Toledo, OH | |
| 9. Portland, OR | 99. Corpus Christi, TX | |
| 10. Oakland, CA | 100. Baton Rouge, LA |
Best vs. Worst
- Lubbock, Texas, has the lowest median air-quality index, 25, which is 3.9 times lower than in Riverside and San Bernardino, California, the cities with the highest at 97 (Lowest index = Best).
- Anchorage has the most green space, 84.17 percent, which is 55.4 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the least at 1.52 percent.
- New York has the highest walk score, 89, which is four times higher than in Chesapeake, Virginia, the city with the lowest at 22.
- Honolulu has the most farmers markets (per square root of population), 0.1182, which is 62.2 times more than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the fewest at 0.0019.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246/