Protecting the environment has never been more important, and trends show that more local governments are starting to reduce the carbon footprint of major cities across the country.
This article shares the list of the 10 most eco-friendly cities in the U.S. based on several data findings, policies, and practices. The list isn’t given in any specific order. However, many cities not listed below run close to the competition with plenty of efforts that can be noticed in terms of energy efficiency, alternative fuel, and commuting options.
Most Eco-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. Its plentiful beaches, fascinating volcanic landforms, and lush vegetation attract people to not only visit but permanently move to the area. So it’s only logical that the inhabitants will try to preserve the natural resources the city abounds in.
The Daily Beast website ranked Honolulu the greenest city in the U.S. in 2014. The site used the government data findings by Experian Marketing Services, a firm tracking America’s greening process for over 50 years.
The research treated different categories such as “percentage of people who behave and think eco-consciously” or “Environmental Protection Agency’s recordings of the number of energy-efficient buildings per capita.” The results showed that 66.1% of Hawaiian capital residents are eco-conscious.
Honolulu residents are encouraged to use public transport and utilize solar energy to heat their homes, while the local government is investing in energy-efficient buildings more than ever before.
2. San Diego, California
San Diego has been hitting the top spots in “greenest city” lists across the country for years. The city has managed to fight frequent droughts that California is known for with the Claud “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant.
The plant uses reverse osmosis and transforms ocean water into drinking water. The site can process up to 100 million gallons of water per day, with half of it serving as potable water for San Diego residents.
Travelers praise the city for many eco-friendly hotels that recycle and reduce energy with innovative features such as aerating showers.
3. San Francisco, California
The WalletHub 2021 ranking of the Greenest Cities in America listed San Francisco in second place. Each year, the website compares 26 data points for the country’s 100 largest cities, including jobs accessible by public transport, median air quality index, etc.
There are laws in San Francisco that require residents to recycle and compost material as separate trash, with the city’s recycling rate being at a whopping 77%. This is a higher recycling rate than all cities in Europe except for Leipzig, at 81%.
Also, San Francisco is dedicated to promoting solar energy, with over 60,000-square-foot solar paneling on the city’s Convention Center.
The city places the onus on business owners to promote eco-friendly commuting. All businesses with over 20 employees are required to offer pre-tax benefits for mass transit expenses or pay for them directly. San Francisco also ranks high regarding the regulations that cover commercial buildings.
Owners of commercial buildings that are smaller than 10,000 square feet must analyze and publish energy-consumption data since 2008. The ones larger than 10,000 square feet must complete energy-efficiency audits once every five years. This helped reduce energy use by half every 20 years.
3. Portland, Oregon
The Travel and Leisure magazine survey rated Portland as the top greenest city in America. In addition, the readers ranked destinations for their eco-friendly offerings, including mass-transit options, restaurants, and sites that use local ingredients for production.
In Portland, you can find vegetarian food trucks, thrift store threads, and plenty of other sustainable options.
The city belongs to the 1% in the country for its renewable source power generation. More than 45,000 streetlights have transferred to LED technology, with the overall streetlight and traffic signals now using 66% less energy than before, saving the city $1.5 million each year.
As far as composting efforts are concerned, the city recovers 81% of waste and plans to recover 90% by 2030.
3. Austin, Texas
A popular marketing company called ListShack collected data on some eco-friendly city features, including farmers’ markets, bike lanes, etc., and listed Austin as the greenest city in the country.
In 2015, it had 22.1 city park acres for every 1,000 residents. In addition, many nonprofit organizations, local governments, sustainability groups, and other institutions put a lot of effort into environmental justice.
The community solar investments are an essential part of Austin’s renewable energy projects. Most homes and businesses in the city are designed according to the latest energy efficiency standards, while many communities put solar panels on the rooftops due to abundant sunshine.
In addition, more than 15% of the land belongs to parks, urban forests, and similar green areas. The city’s green reputation has also spread internationally, with plenty of foreign visitors coming to the region each year.
4. Washington, D.C.
Washington scored third on the 2018 WalletHub list of the most eco-friendly cities in the U.S., remaining at the top 10 in 2021. In addition, the District was the first place in the U.S. to kick-start the bike share movement, with the Capital Bikeshare marking its 10th anniversary and having over 4,000 bikes and 500 stations.
Buses in the city run on compressed natural gas as an alternative to diesel fuel, producing 45% fewer hydrocarbons. More than 1,400 buses in Washington, D.C. use alternative energy that doesn’t harm the environment as much.
The capital has plenty of policies and practices that make it one of the most sustainable cities in the country. Most travelers love the city for the ease of commuting, with 58% of it being by bike, public transport, or walking. Also, the D.C. government buildings are fully powered by renewable energy, as stated by the USGBC.
Finally, many restaurants expanded the sustainability awareness by making the concept “farm-to-table” a standard. They have started implementing biodynamic agriculture and local farming to make delicious food.
5. Seattle, Washington
The Emerald City is known for its year-long greenery with over 500 parks and numerous green efforts. In addition, Seattle City Light is the first carbon-neutral utility company in the country, ranking the city in the top 2% for renewable energy use.
In 2014, STAR Communities awarded the city a 5-star rating for being the national leader in sustainability. The most significant factors contributing to the highest rating include the carbon neutrality commitment, high-end energy-efficiency programs such as Community Power Works, transportation choices, and the Green Seattle Partnership (GSP).
The GSP volunteers planted over 150,000 trees and restored 1,000 acres of parkland in the city. As for the transportation choices, Seattle is one of the few cities where less than 50% of commuters drive to work alone. There’s been a massive increase in bike usage and pedestrian traffic over the years.
6. Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is among the most walkable U.S. cities, scoring third on the Walk Score rankings for best pedestrian cities; it only scored after San Francisco and New York.
The policy to boost efficiency in the government and real estate development code requirements helped list Boston as the fourth most sustainable city in the U.S. according to the COMMERCIAL Café study in 2019.
The city took the top spot in the City Scorecard Rating category for its sustainable energy efficiency policies that promote environmental benefits and economic growth.
7. Sacramento, California
Sacramento is one of the first cities to take evolutionary approaches in climate action planning. It adopted a Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) in 2007 and a 2030 General Plan demonstrating its sustainability commitment.
The local government motivates people to make greener choices to conserve energy, and it replaced the city lights with LEDs that consume two-thirds less energy. One of the most significant eco-friendly projects in the country, Downtown Railyard Remediation, is in Sacramento.
The 240-acre area will host 12,000 housing units, two million square feet of open space, and just as many hotels, retail stores, and other commercial space areas. The rainwater recapture, solar photovoltaic, solar hot water heating systems, bike parking, and other aspects are included in the project.
In terms of cars, Sacramento is as green as it gets. It’s essential for a city this big to set an example for the rest of the state. In addition, there are many alternative-fuel programs, such as the renewable compressed natural gas made from food waste and liquefied natural gas for powering garbage trucks.
8. Atlanta, Georgia
Living in Atlanta has more perks besides its southern charm. Georgia’s capital is known for being one of the most eco-friendly cities in the U.S.
The city has spearheaded initiatives that range from educating city employees about energy consumption to ordinances that ensure all newly funded buildings have a silver LEED certificate, among the most popular green building rating systems.
America’s Going Green
With more cities chasing the “greenest U.S. city” title, the competition for the most eco-friendly city in the U.S. has become fierce. And this is a great thing. It means more local governments are becoming aware of the global environmental issues we’re facing and giving their best to address them efficiently.
While some cities on the list implement energy efficiency choices and work on boosting alternative fuel sources, others shift their focus toward promoting bicycling and creating a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.
Thanks to the efforts of local governments and NGOs, the cities listed above have undoubtedly deserved the title of being the most eco-friendly cities in the U.S.