Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
Which U.S. cities are using their lawns and gardens to invite and sustain pollinators?
To find out, LawnStarter used 11 different metrics to rank 2025’s top cities for pollinator-friendly landscaping.
Why is LawnStarter ranking pollinator-friendly cities? Slow Mow Summer is all about protecting bees and butterflies.
Flutter through our following ranking. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology at the end.
15. Pittsburgh, PA
- Overall Score: 61.17
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 35
- Environmental Quality Rank: 22
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 5
14. Los Angeles, CA
- Overall Score: 62.36
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 6
- Environmental Quality Rank: 313
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 413
13. Spokane, WA
- Overall Score: 62.38
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 15
- Environmental Quality Rank: 110
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 78
12. New Haven, CT
- Overall Score: 62.95
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 13
- Environmental Quality Rank: 111
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 51
11. Santa Rosa, CA
- Overall Score: 63.56
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 10
- Environmental Quality Rank: 83
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 189
10. Tacoma, WA
- Overall Score: 64.23
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 11
- Environmental Quality Rank: 58
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 165
9. Norwalk, CT
- Overall Score: 65.26
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 8
- Environmental Quality Rank: 115
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 249
8. Thousand Oaks, CA
- Overall Score: 66.02
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 2
- Environmental Quality Rank: 309
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 315
7. Stamford, CT
- Overall Score: 66.30
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 7
- Environmental Quality Rank: 91
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 341
6. Boston, MA
- Overall Score: 66.89
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 19
- Environmental Quality Rank: 5
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 140
5. Santa Barbara, CA
- Overall Score: 67.68
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 4
- Environmental Quality Rank: 200
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 157
4. Baltimore, MD
- Overall Score: 70.13
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 9
- Environmental Quality Rank: 9
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 70
3. New York, NY
- Overall Score: 71.98
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 3
- Environmental Quality Rank: 34
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 462
2. Atlanta, GA
- Overall Score: 74.83
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 5
- Environmental Quality Rank: 31
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 10
1. Seattle, WA
- Overall Score: 76.47
- Policy and Local Commitment Rank: 1
- Environmental Quality Rank: 24
- Public Engagement and Interest Rank: 45
Methodology
First, we determined 11 factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank 2025’s Top Cities for Pollinator-Friendly Landscaping.
We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into three categories: Policy and Local Commitment, Environmental Quality, and Public Engagement and Interest. Here are the factors:
- Pollinator-Friendly Policies
- Limit on Substances That Hurt Bees
- City Has Pesticide Free Zones Or Pesticide Restrictions
- City Is a Bee City Affiliate
- Number of Butterfly Gardens
- Number of Pollinator Waystations
- Urban Gardening Rank
- Sustainable Cities Rank
- Median Air Quality Index
- Drought Risk Index
- Local Google Search Index (Adj. to 100,000 Residents)
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).
Add a Comment