With October being National Energy Awareness Month and 58% of Americans saying that protecting the environment should be prioritized above economic growth, the personal-finance company WalletHub has released its report on 2026’s Greenest Cities in America, as well as expert commentary, to identify the places where people prioritize living sustainably and protecting our 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.
The Golden State had six cities make the top 10 on the list.
Greenest Cities in America
Oakland, California was rated at the top of the green cities list, followed by San Jose, CA; San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Honolulu, HI; San Diego, CA; Fremont, CA; Irvine, CA; Portland, OR; and Minneapolis, Minnesota rounding out the top 10.
Least Green Cities in America
Coming in at number 91 was Memphis, Tennessee, followed by Chandler, AZ; Newark, NJ; Baton Rouge, LA; Louisville, KY; Gilbert, AZ; Hialeah, FL; Houston, TX; Mesa, AZ; and at number 100, Glendale, Arizona.
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.
“There are plenty of things that individuals can do to adopt a green lifestyle, from recycling to sharing rides to installing solar panels on their homes. However, living in one of the greenest cities can make it even easier to care for the environment, due to sustainable laws and policies, access to locally-grown produce and infrastructure that allows residents to use vehicles less often. The greenest cities also are better for your health due to superior air and water quality,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo. “Oakland is the greenest city in America, boasting the second-lowest greenhouse gas emissions and the best air quality in the country. In addition to not polluting the air, Oakland also has one of the lowest light pollution levels in the country, allowing residents to better see the night sky. To top things off, Oakland makes locally-grown produce easily accessible. It has a high number of community garden sites and farmers’ markets per capita.”
To view the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246
Expert Commentary
Should cities invest in going green? What are the benefits?
“Absolutely. Cities should view going green not simply as an environmental expenditure, but as a long-term investment in their economic vitality, public health, resilience, and quality of life. Sustainable development can reduce energy and water consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions, pollution, and infrastructure pressures while creating healthier and more attractive places to live and work. My research has consistently emphasized that urban sustainability rests on the integration of environmental, social, and economic dimensions, rather than on environmental performance alone. In The Sustainability of Tall Building Developments: A Conceptual Framework, for example, I organized sustainability challenges around these three interconnected pillars. Green investment, therefore, produces the greatest benefits when environmental improvements simultaneously support economic opportunity, social well-being, and urban resilience.”
Kheir Al-Kodmany, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Illinois, Chicago
“Yes. Green alternatives can help make the environment less toxic and the air cleaner and easier to breathe. A greener environment can also save resources if sun power is used. The less fossil fuels are used, the less exhaust fumes. Cities with large park systems increase the ability for residents to exercise and add to cleaner air.”
Daniel E. Goldberg, Ed.D. – Associate Professor, Temple University
What types of green policies or investments offer the biggest bang for the buck?
“The best investments are those that provide multiple benefits at the same time. Energy-efficient buildings, compact mixed-use development, public transportation, walking and cycling infrastructure, urban trees and vegetation, green roofs, water conservation, and renewable energy can reinforce one another rather than operate as isolated interventions. An important lesson from my research on sustainable tall buildings and vertical cities is that we should not equate sustainability with simply attaching green technologies – such as photovoltaic panels or wind turbines – to buildings. Sustainability requires a comprehensive design approach that integrates buildings with transportation, infrastructure, public space, environmental systems, and the broader urban context. My subsequent research on sustainable high-rise buildings similarly shows that improvements in energy, water, materials, building systems, and design can generate significant savings precisely because buildings operate at such a large scale. Therefore, the biggest ‘bang for the buck’ comes from integrated investments that solve several urban problems simultaneously.”
Kheir Al-Kodmany, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Illinois, Chicago
“Even though it has been unpopular for years, safe nuclear power (as in France) can create a large return on investment while reducing grid failure due to weather related situations.”
Daniel E. Goldberg, Ed.D. – Associate Professor, Temple University
What are some easy ways individuals can go green without much cost or effort?
“Many meaningful actions require little or no additional cost. Individuals can reduce unnecessary electricity and water consumption, walk or use public transportation when practical, combine automobile trips, reduce food waste, reuse products, recycle properly, and choose energy-efficient lighting and appliances when replacements are needed. However, individual behavior should be supported by good urban planning. People are much more likely to walk, cycle, or take transit when neighborhoods are compact, mixed-use, safe, attractive, and well-connected. My work on sustainable vertical urbanism has emphasized this relationship between density, transportation, urban form, and sustainability. For example, research on tall buildings and transit-oriented development demonstrates the importance of integrating higher-density development with public transportation rather than treating buildings and mobility as separate systems. In other words, sustainable lifestyles become easier when cities themselves are designed sustainably.”
Kheir Al-Kodmany, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Illinois, Chicago
“Recycle, reuse, turn off lights, keep thermostats lower in the fall/winter and higher or off in the spring/summer.”
Daniel E. Goldberg, Ed.D. – Associate Professor, Temple University
