San Diego Named America's Greenest City: Ranking

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego is considered the greenest city in the country, according to a new study released Wednesday.

In recognition of October being National Energy Awareness Month, researchers at WalletHub released its report on 2024's Greenest Cities in America — and America's Finest City topped the list for the fourth consecutive year.

"We've been publishing this report since 2015, and since 2021, San Diego has ranked at the top every year," WalletHub spokesperson Diana Polk told Patch.

Researchers at the personal finance website compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across four categories: energy sources, environment, lifestyle and policy, and transportation. They evaluated those dimensions using 28 key indicators of environmental friendliness and sustainability. The data set ranged from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to water quality to green job opportunities.

"San Diego is the greenest city in America, in part because it leads the country in the number of solar panel installations per capita. Over 43% of the city's electricity comes from renewable sources, the seventh-highest percentage in the country," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "San Diego has plenty of other environmentally-conscious policies worth noting. For example, it bans plastic bags and has a bike-sharing program. San Diego also leads the country when it comes to the number of certified organic farms per capita."

Here's how San Diego scored:

"Greenness" of San Diego (1=Best; 50=Average)

• Overall rank for San Diego: 1st
• 42nd — Greenhouse-Gas Emissions per Capita
• 10th — % of Green Space
• 26th — Median Air Quality Index
• 23rd — Annual Excess Fuel Consumption
• 28th — % of Commuters Who Drive
• 29th — Walk Score
• 5th — Farmers Markets per Capita

Washington, D.C., ranked second and Honolulu, Hawaii, ranked third, according to the report. Glendale, Arizona, ranked at the bottom of the list.

These are the other California cities that landed on the list:

• No. 4: San Francisco
• No. 5: San Jose
• No. 7: Oakland
• No. 9: Fremont
• No. 10: Irvine
• No. 13: Sacramento
• No. 16: Chula Vista
• No. 17: Anaheim
• No. 18: Los Angeles
• No. 19: Long Beach
• No. 21: Bakersfield
• No. 23: Riverside
• No. 29: Fresno
• No. 34: San Bernardino
• No. 36: Santa Ana
• No. 38: Stockton

Read the full report here.