The 10 Eco-Friendliest States in the US

By
Melissa Breyer
Melissa Breyer
Melissa Breyer
Editorial Director
  • Hunter College
  • F.I.T., State University of New York
  • Cornell University
Melissa Breyer is Treehugger’s editorial director. She is a sustainability expert and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and National Geographic, among others.
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Updated May 8, 2020
Autumn scene in Vermont

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 

How green is your state? A new report details which states are sustainability superstars.

That the greenest state in The States is Vermont, according to a new report, doesn't come as much of a surprise. It is, after all, The Green Mountain State. Call it a self-fulfilling prophecy. But some of the other results may not be so obvious.

Methodology

The report was compiled by financial site WalletHub (because climate change is expensive and living sustainably is generally cheaper), but they don't seem to have skimped in doing the research. They compared each of the 50 states on 23 key metrics, using data from a wide variety of sources, from the U.S. Census Bureau and Natural Resources Defense Council to the Green Building Council and Environmental Protection Agency.The 23 metrics – which are surprisingly comprehensive – are grouped into three equal categories: Environmental quality, eco-friendly behaviors, and climate-change contributions.

Results

Once all the number were crunched, the following states came out on top.

1. Vermont
2. Oregon
3. Massachusetts
4. New York
5. South Dakota
6. Minnesota
7. Connecticut
8. New Hampshire
9. California
10. Rhode Island

And at the sad bottom of the list:

41. Arkansas
42. Indiana
43. Texas
44. Oklahoma
45. Wyoming
46. Alabama
47. North Dakota
48. Kentucky
49. Louisiana
50. West Virginia

Some of the takeaways are pretty interesting; the comparisons below reveal some of the metrics responsible for the rankings.

greenest states illustration

WalletHub