Greenest States (2025)

Eco-friendliness and personal finance are related. Our environmental and financial needs are the same in many areas: providing ourselves with sustainable, clean drinking water and food, for example. We also spend money through our own taxes in support of environmental security.

Last year, the U.S. experienced 28 weather and climate disasters that did $1 billion or more in damage each, with the total damage from all events adding up to $92.9 billion. While some disasters are unavoidable, others are exacerbated by humans.

We should all try to do our part to save the world for future generations. In order to highlight the greenest states and call out those doing a poor job of caring for the environment, WalletHub compared each of the 50 states based on 25 key metrics.

“It’s important for every American to do their part to support greener living and protect our environment. However, it’s much easier being green in some states than others. For example, if a state doesn’t have a great infrastructure for alternative-fuel vehicles, it becomes much harder for residents to adopt that technology. Living in a green state is also very beneficial for the health of you and your family, as you benefit from better air, soil and water quality.”

Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Most Environmentally Friendly States

Note: *No. 1 = Greenest
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Air Quality

Highest

• 1. Delaware
• T-2. Indiana
• T-2. Wyoming
• T-4. Florida
• T-4. Rhode Island

Lowest

• T-46. Kentucky
• T-46. New Mexico
• T-48. Tennessee
• T-48. Arkansas
• T-48. California

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

Delaware vs. California

Water Quality

Highest

• T-1. California
• T-1. Delaware
• T-1. Hawaii
• T-1. Iowa
• T-1. Kentucky

Lowest

• 46. Wisconsin
• 47. Alaska
• T-48. Mississippi
• T-48. New Jersey
• T-48. West Virginia

Soil Quality

Highest

• T-1. Hawaii
• T-1. Michigan
• T-1. Minnesota
• T-1. Wisconsin
• T-5. New York
• T-5. South Dakota

Lowest

• T-46. Alaska
• T-46. Nevada
• 48. Wyoming
• 49. Rhode Island
• 50. New Mexico

Best State vs. Worst State: 27x Difference

Hawaii vs. New Mexico

LEED-Certified Buildings per Capita

Most

• 1. Colorado
• 2. Maryland
• 3. Massachusetts
• 4. Virginia
• 5. Washington

Fewest

• 46. Alabama
• 47. Oklahoma
• 48. Mississippi
• 49. Louisiana
• 50. West Virginia

Best State vs. Worst State: 8x Difference

Colorado vs. West Virginia

% of Renewable Energy Consumption

Highest

• T-1. South Dakota
• T-1. Washington
• T-1. Oregon
• T-1. Iowa
• T-1. Maine

Lowest

• 46. Ohio
• 47. New Jersey
• 48. Alaska
• 49. Louisiana
• 50. Delaware

Best State vs. Worst State: 18x Difference

South Dakota vs. Delaware

Energy Consumption per Capita

Lowest

• 1. Rhode Island
• 2. New York
• 3. Hawaii
• 4. California
• 5. Massachusetts

Highest

• 46. Iowa
• T-47. Wyoming
• T-47. North Dakota
• T-47. Louisiana
• T-47. Alaska

Best State vs. Worst State: 6x Difference

Rhode Island vs. Alaska

Gasoline Consumption (in Gallons) per Capita

Lowest

• 1. New York
• 2. Hawaii
• 3. Rhode Island
• 4. Illinois
• 5. Washington

Highest

• 46. South Carolina
• 47. South Dakota
• 48. Wyoming
• 49. Mississippi
• 50. Alabama

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

New York vs. Alabama

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In-Depth Look at the Greenest States

California

California is the greenest state in America, in part because it has the most energy-efficient public policies, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s scorecard. One contributor to the state’s energy efficiency is the fact that its residential solar power installations have a very high capacity per capita compared to most states.

California also has the fourth-lowest overall energy consumption per capita, and the sixth-lowest gasoline consumption. Plus, California makes it easy for people to transition from gas-powered cars to eco-friendly vehicles because it has the second-largest number of alternative-fuel stations per capita. The state’s robust public transportation helps reduce gas consumption, too.

Finally, due to the high prevalence of droughts, the Golden State has by far the best water efficiency and conservation score in the country.

Vermont

Vermont is the second-greenest state, and it has the most organic-farm acreage per capita. Organic farms are ones that don’t hurt the environment through use of things like pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, herbicides and growth hormones, among others.

In addition, Vermont has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita and the third-lowest methane emissions per capita. These are two of the main greenhouse gasses that green policies seek to reduce.

The Green Mountain State is also paving the way for a future where more people drive clean vehicles, as it has the highest number of alternative fuel stations per capita. When it comes to actual adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, it ranks 19th in the country.

New York

New York is the third-greenest state, having some of the lowest overall energy consumption and the lowest gasoline consumption per capita. One of the reasons for the low gas consumption is the fact that nearly 48% of New York’s population uses green transportation (public transportation, carpools, biking or walking) to get to and from work, the highest percentage in the country.

The Empire State ranks among the top states when it comes to reducing emissions, too, having some of the lowest carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions per capita. Another big hallmark of a green state is clean soil, and New York has the second-best soil quality in the country, which helps increase safety when it comes to drinking water and crops. It’s beneficial for the health of animals that live in the state, too.

Blue States vs. Red States

Ask the Experts

For more insight into eco-friendliness at the household, government and global levels, we asked the following questions to a panel of environmental and economic experts. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What policies can state and local authorities pursue to make their communities more environmentally friendly?
2. Is there an inherent tradeoff between protecting the environment and promoting economic growth?
3. Research indicates that the current decade will be crucial for slowing heat-trapping emissions. In your opinion, how have the policies proposed by the Biden administration fared in combating climate change?
4. What is the single most impactful thing an individual can do to reduce their effect on the environment?

Ask the Experts

Derek Lemoine
Professor of Economics, Eller College of Management – University of Arizona
Read More

Jan Kleissl
Director, Center for Energy Research; Director, NSF DERConnect Research Infrastructure Facility; Deputy Editor, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy; Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering – University of California, San Diego
Read More

Jennie C. Stephens
Ph.D. – Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy – Northeastern University, School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs
Read More

Jordan P. Howell
Ph.D., MBA – Associate Professor of Sustainable Business, Department of Management and Director, Rowan Center for Responsible Leadership, Rohrer College of Business – Rowan University
Read More

Deepak Rajagopal
Associate Professor, Institute of Environment and Sustainability – University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
Read More

Gaytha A. Langlois
Professor of Environmental Policy in the Department of Science & Technology at Bryant University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the greenest states, WalletHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Environmental Quality, 2) Eco-Friendly Behaviors and 3) Climate-Change Contributions.

We evaluated those dimensions using 25 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of eco-friendliness.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Environmental Quality – Total Points: 35

• Air Quality: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the average exposure of the general public to particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) or less in size.
• Water Quality: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
• Soil Quality: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the difference between the median soil pH level and the optimal soil pH level.
• Energy-Efficiency Score: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)

Eco-Friendly Behaviors – Total Points: 35

• Green Buildings per Capita: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the number of LEED-certified buildings per capita.
• Total Capacity of Solar PV Systems Installed per Household: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: “PV” is an acronym for photovoltaic.
• Share of Renewable Energy Consumption: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
• Energy Consumption per Capita: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
• Gasoline Consumption (in Gallons) per Capita: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
• Daily Water Consumption per Capita: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
• Share of “Smart” Electricity Meters: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: Smart meters are energy meters with enhanced, two-way communication technology that provide information to energy providers and consumers about prices, usage patterns, and inefficiencies. The deployment of smart meters is an excellent example of better technology and better data being used to conserve energy, save money, and grow the economy. The total number of meters with advanced metering infrastructure (i.e., smart meters) across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors is divided by the total number of electricity meters across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
• Alternative-Fuel Vehicles per Capita: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides data for the number of alternative-fuel vehicles for these four fleets only: federal government agencies, state government agencies, transit agencies and fuel providers.
• Alternative-Fuel Stations per Capita: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
• Green Transportation: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population who walk, bike, carpool, take public transportation or work from home.
• Average Commute Time by Car: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
• Certified Organic Farms per Capita: Double Weight (~3.89 Points)
• Corporate Clean Energy Procurement Index Score: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: The index ranks all 50 U.S. states based upon the ease with which companies can procure RE (renewable energy) for their operations located within each state. The index consists of 15 indicators, broken into three categories:
  • UTILITY PURCHASING OPTIONS, which ranks states based upon the opportunities available to procure RE through utilities in the state, as well as looking at electric utility market factors;
  • THIRD-PARTY PURCHASING OPTIONS, where states are ranked by how readily companies can procure RE through third-party (i.e., non-utility) developers and other organizations;
  • ONSITE/DIRECT DEPLOYMENT OPTIONS, which analyzes states based upon how effectively companies can deploy RE onsite (such as rooftop solar panels) or through other direct purchasing options.
• State Renewable Portfolio Standards: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of renewable portfolio standards in the states. Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) requires that a specified percentage of the electricity that utilities sell comes from renewable resources.
• States with Electronic Waste Recycling Programs: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of e-waste recycling programs in the states.
• States with Multifamily Recycling Policies: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the presence or absence of multifamily recycling policies in the states.
• Water Efficiency and Sustainability Score: Full Weight (~1.94 Points)
  Note: This composed metric is based on data from Alliance for Water Efficiency’s “2022 State Policy Scorecard for Water Efficiency and Sustainability” report.

Climate-Change Contributions – Total Points: 30

• Carbon-Dioxide Emissions per Capita: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
• Methane Emissions per Capita: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
• Nitrous-Oxide Emissions per Capita: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
• Fluorinated Greenhouse-Gas Emissions per Capita: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of March 20, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, United Health Foundation, International Plant Nutrition Institute, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Green Building Council, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Department of Energy, United States Department of Agriculture, Information Technology Industry Council, National Conference of State Legislatures, Environmental Finance Blog, Alliance for Water Efficiency, Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Information Administration and U.S. Geological Survey.

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