Oakland, Calif., is the greenest city in the U.S., according to an analysis published Sept. 30 by WalletHub that ranked cities on environmental quality, transportation, energy sources and sustainability policies.
The personal finance company compared the 100 most populated cities across those four dimensions using 28 metrics. Metrics ranged from greenhouse gas emissions per capita and air quality to the share of commuters who drive alone, the share of electricity from renewable sources and the presence of plastic bag bans. WalletHub graded each metric on a 100-point scale and determined each city’s weighted average to calculate its overall score and rank.
Data was collected as of Sept. 2, according to the analysis.
The 10 greenest cities:
1. Oakland, Calif.
2. San Jose, Calif.
3. San Francisco
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Honolulu
6. San Diego
7. Fremont, Calif.
8. Irvine, Calif.
9. Portland, Ore.
10. Minneapolis
The 10 cities at the bottom of the list:
1. Glendale, Ariz.
2. Mesa, Ariz.
3. Houston
4. Hialeah, Fla.
5. Gilbert, Ariz.
6. Louisville, Ky.
7. Baton Rouge, La.
8. Newark, N.J.
9. Chandler, Ariz.
10. Memphis, Tenn.
