September 30, 2026

Environment

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 the water quality to green job opportunities.
 
Greenest Cities in America Least Green Cities in America
1. Oakland, CA 91. Memphis, TN
2. San Jose, CA 92. Chandler, AZ
3. San Francisco, CA 93. Newark, NJ
4. Washington, DC 94. Baton Rouge, LA
5. Honolulu, HI 95. Louisville, KY
6. San Diego, CA 96. Gilbert, AZ
7. Fremont, CA 97. Hialeah, FL
8. Irvine, CA 98. Houston, TX
9. Portland, OR 99. Mesa, AZ
10. Minneapolis, MN 100. Glendale, AZ
 
Best vs. Worst
  • San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont California, have the lowest median air-quality index, which is 4.1 times lower than in Riverside and San Bernardino, California, the cities with the highest. (Lowest index = Best).
     
  • Anchorage, Alaska, has the most green space, which is 48.8 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the least.
     
  • St. Paul, Minnesota has the highest walk score, which is 4.3 times higher than in Chesapeake, Virginia, the city with the lowest.
     
  • Honolulu has the most farmers markets (per square root of population), which is 80.5 times more than in Arlington, Texas, the city with the fewest.
 To view the full report and your city’s rank

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