With October being National Energy Awareness Month and 52% of Americans saying protecting the environment should be prioritized above economic growth, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Greenest Cities in America, as well as expert commentary.
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 to number of smart-energy policies and initiatives.
| Greenest Cities in America | Least Green Cities in America |
| 1. San Diego, CA | 91. Greensboro, NC |
| 2. Honolulu, HI | 92. Detroit, MI |
| 3. Portland, OR | 93. Hialeah, FL |
| 4. Washington, DC | 94. Newark, NJ |
| 5. Seattle, WA | 95. Houston, TX |
| 6. San Jose, CA | 96. Chandler, AZ |
| 7. San Francisco, CA | 97. Baton Rouge, LA |
| 8. Oakland, CA | 98. Mesa, AZ |
| 9. Fremont, CA | 99. Glendale, AZ |
| 10. Minneapolis, MN | 100. Gilbert, AZ |
Best vs. Worst
- Lubbock, Texas, has the lowest median air-quality index, 22, which is 3.8 times lower than in Riverside and San Bernardino, California, the cities with the highest at 84 (Lowest index = Best).
- Anchorage, Alaska, has the most green space, 80.16 percent, which is 46.3 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the least at 1.73 percent.
- San Francisco has the highest walk score, 89, which is 4.2 times higher than in Chesapeake, Virginia, the city with the lowest at 21.
- Honolulu has the most farmers markets (per square root of population), 0.123119, which is 77.1 times more than in Arlington, Texas, the city with the fewest at 0.001597.
