We could do better but we could also do a lot worse. A couple weeks ago, personal finance website
WalletHub released its report on the year's Greenest States.
"In order to showcase the states doing right by Mother
Earth, WalletHub compared the 50 states in terms of 28 key metrics that speak to the current health of the environment and residents’ environmental-friendliness," their press release says. "The data set ranges from green buildings per capita to the share of energy consumption from renewable resources."
Our 10th place ranking mirrors a similar ranking from
SmileHub, 11th in sustainable development. Unfortunately, we are slipping: in 2023 we ranked
sixth, in 2024
ninth.
Asked to explain why we've been slipping, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo told me, "While Connecticut continues to do well in addressing
climate change, ranking second in that category, its overall environmental quality has slipped noticeably, from eighth in 2023 to 11th in 2025. This points to issues in key areas such as air and water quality. Additionally, the state’s efforts in promoting eco-friendly behaviors, such as renewable energy use (ranked 38th) and recycling, have not made enough progress to offset the decline in environmental quality."
He added that while we are making strides in mitigating climate change, we need "a more balanced approach to improve both environmental quality and green behaviors to maintain leadership in sustainability." On a positive note, though, Connecticut ranked first this year in the category of "Total Capacity of
Solar PV Systems Installed Per Household". Though this is better than in recent years, a spokesperson says year-over-year comparisons are discouraged due to fluctuating data.
Besting us by a Green Mountain mile, Vermont leads again, with balmy Hawaii second and the Empire State third. West Virginia may be home to the scenic Appalachian Mountains but it's the least environmentally friendly.
In order, the greenest states after the aforementioned are Maryland (4), Maine (5), Minnesota (6), California (7), Massachusetts (8), Washington (9) and Connecticut (10). The states' level of greenness cuts across party lines, with all the least green Republican and greenest Democrat.
That said, South Dakota has the highest share of energy consumption from renewable sources, which is 17.4 times higher than in Alaska, the state with the lowest.
New York has the highest share of people who do not drive to work, which is three times higher than in Mississippi, the state with the lowest. (Having lived in New York City I can attest that if anyone had a car in Manhattan they would be either a celebrity with an underground garage or new to town. But everyone Upstate has to have a car.)
Vermont has the highest number of alternative-fuel stations per 100,000 residents, which is eight times higher than in Louisiana, the state with the lowest.
“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,” says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. He adds that Vermont is greenest on multiple levels including lowest carbon dioxide emisisons and third-lowest methane emissions per capita, paving the way for a future with many more clean vehicles.
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Read the full report here.
Photo: "Springtime in Northern Vermont"by Michelle Maria, via Wikimedia Commons
Background: by Melissagarcia17
Comments
Post a Comment