Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
From solar panel rebates to green buildings and composting programs, which U.S. cities are leading the nation for Earth-friendly initiatives and sustainable urban development?
To find out, LawnStarter ranked the most sustainable cities.
To rank the nation’s greenest cities, we compared the 500 largest U.S. cities using 47 eco-conscious metrics — such as restrictions on gas-powered lawn equipment, the share of car-free commutes, and access to zero-waste grocery stores — sorted into five categories.
See if your city scores in our following ranking. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology at the end.
15. Denver, CO
- Overall Score: 50.00
- Policy Ranking: 16
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 78
- Pollution Ranking: 289
- Transportation Ranking: 40
- Food Access Ranking: 10
14. Sunnyvale, CA
- Overall Score: 50.17
- Policy Ranking: 20
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 17
- Pollution Ranking: 348
- Transportation Ranking: 12
- Food Access Ranking: 213
13. Minneapolis, MN
- Overall Score: 50.51
- Policy Ranking: 45
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 59
- Pollution Ranking: 134
- Transportation Ranking: 19
- Food Access Ranking: 21
12. Chicago, IL
- Overall Score: 50.61
- Policy Ranking: 32
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 26
- Pollution Ranking: 404
- Transportation Ranking: 20
- Food Access Ranking: 5
11. San Jose, CA
- Overall Score: 51.36
- Policy Ranking: 4
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 11
- Pollution Ranking: 352
- Transportation Ranking: 71
- Food Access Ranking: 32
10. Oakland, CA
- Overall Score: 51.54
- Policy Ranking: 3
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 21
- Pollution Ranking: 415
- Transportation Ranking: 33
- Food Access Ranking: 25
9. Boulder, CO
- Overall Score: 51.89
- Policy Ranking: 43
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 15
- Pollution Ranking: 51
- Transportation Ranking: 17
- Food Access Ranking: 343
8. Sacramento, CA
- Overall Score: 52.55
- Policy Ranking: 8
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 14
- Pollution Ranking: 197
- Transportation Ranking: 89
- Food Access Ranking: 14
7. Rochester, NY
- Overall Score: 52.85
- Policy Ranking: 13
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 73
- Pollution Ranking: 5
- Transportation Ranking: 56
- Food Access Ranking: 137
6. Washington, DC
- Overall Score: 53.72
- Policy Ranking: 40
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 8
- Pollution Ranking: 367
- Transportation Ranking: 3
- Food Access Ranking: 12
5. Seattle, WA
- Overall Score: 54.45
- Policy Ranking: 22
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 6
- Pollution Ranking: 251
- Transportation Ranking: 15
- Food Access Ranking: 9
4. San Francisco, CA
- Overall Score: 54.88
- Policy Ranking: 38
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 1
- Pollution Ranking: 442
- Transportation Ranking: 5
- Food Access Ranking: 3
3. Los Angeles, CA
- Overall Score: 55.95
- Policy Ranking: 2
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 7
- Pollution Ranking: 434
- Transportation Ranking: 38
- Food Access Ranking: 4
2. Portland, OR
- Overall Score: 56.82
- Policy Ranking: 9
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 2
- Pollution Ranking: 199
- Transportation Ranking: 21
- Food Access Ranking: 6
1. New York, NY
- Overall Score: 64.90
- Policy Ranking: 1
- Sustainable Development Ranking: 3
- Pollution Ranking: 495
- Transportation Ranking: 2
- Food Access Ranking: 1
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the most sustainable cities. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into five categories: Policy, Sustainable Development, Pollution, Transportation, and Food Production. The factors are listed below.
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1).
Here are the factors:
- Number of Financial Incentives Supporting Renewables and Energy Efficiency
- Local Clean City Coalitions Present
- Number of Global Green Partners
- Member of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
- Urban Heat Island Program Present
- Presence of Plastic Bag Bans
- Gas Powered Equipment Bans and Restrictions
- Rainwater Harvesting Legality
- Number of Certified Zero-Energy Buildings
- Share of Green Homes
- Share of Land Used for Parks
- Alternative-Fuel Stations per Square Mile
- Rating of State Waste Regulations and Measures
- Ranking in LEED-Certified Surface
- Total LEED Certification Score
- Sustainable Home Builders
- Percentage of People Living 10 Minutes from a Park
- Pollinator-Friendly Cities Rank
- Greenhouse-Gas Emissions (Metric Tons)
- Tons of Waste in Landfills per 100,000 Residents
- Annual Excess Fuel Consumption (Gallons per Auto Commuter)
- Population Density (Residents per Square Mile)
- Number of Thrift Shops and Creative Reuse Centers per 100,000 Residents
- Number of Recycling Facilities per 100,000 Residents
- Number of Donation Centers per 100,000 Residents
- AARP Environment Score
- Best Cities For Composting Rank
- Average Monthly Google Searches for Top Sustainability-Related Keywords Over Past Year per 100K residents
- Share of Workers Who Walk, Bike, Carpool, or Ride Public Transit to Work
- Average Commute Time
- AARP Transportation Score
- Bike Score
- Consumer Expenditures per Household on Local Transportation (Adjusted to Income)
- Consumer Expenditures per Household on Gasoline (Adjusted to Income)
- Access to Jobs by Transit
- Number of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
- Bike-Rental Facilities per 100,000 Residents
- Share of Electric Buses
- Share of Commuters Who Drive Alone
- Average Cost of Electricity (as Percentage of Average Monthly Household Income)
- Best Cities for Urban Gardening Rank
- Access to Grocery Stores and Farmers Markets
- Number of Green Restaurants
- On-Farm Markets Within 50 Miles
- Local Food Hubs Within 100 Miles
- Number of Zero-Waste Grocery Stores
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