Explore The Top 15 Greenest Cities in the U.S.

For those who are concerned about our climate (and polls show that’s about 66% of us), it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by climate change news. Environmental sustainability is one of the biggest challenges of our generation. Across the nation, cities are rising to meet that challenge to create healthier, greener communities.

Cities are pushing to lower greenhouse gas emissions, address environmental injustice, build resilience to future impacts of climate change, and make other critical shifts. A 2026 WalletHub analysis highlights the greenest cities in the U.S. using 28 green indicators.

Explore the 15 most eco-friendly places to live in the United States, including number 12 – Sacramento.

The 15 Most Environmentally Friendly Cities in America

#1: Oakland, CA

Oakland, California earned WalletHub’s nod as the greenest city in the United States thanks to low greenhouse gas emissions, good air quality, and low light pollution.

The city is striving to become more sustainable and resilient against climate change. A key component of that goal is Oakland’s 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP). The plan stems from the city’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 56% from 2005 levels and calls for steps such as supporting sustainable transportation, building energy-efficient housing, and preparing for emergencies.

ECAP focuses on equity and ensuring frontline communities harmed by environmental injustice benefit from climate action.

#2: San Jose, CA

In 2018, San Jose passed its Climate Smart plan, making it one of the first major U.S. cities to chart a course to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the international Paris Agreement. The plan was updated in 2025 to account for the latest climate data and focus on a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

The city is pursuing this goal in a few different ways:

• By supporting a shift to zero emission vehicles through electric vehicle rebates and other programs. Currently, 5% of San Jose’s vehicles are electric.
• Encouraging walking, biking, and public transit.
• Working to power the community with 100% clean energy. In 2024, 65% of the city’s power came from renewable sources.

#3: San Francisco, CA

San Francisco approaches sustainability at both the citywide and neighborhood levels. Its efforts focus on switching to clean transit and renewable energy, as well as creating a greener city by expanding the urban forest and adding living rooftops.

The city has already made great strides towards its climate plan. In 2024, 91% of its power came from renewable sources. San Francisco also has many green commuters, thanks to its accessible public transit system and bike/rideshare programs that enable vehicle-free travel.

#4: Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.’s sustainability efforts focus on a wide range of crucial goals, including:

• Growing the use of public transit, walking, and cycling
• Expanding urban agriculture and access to healthy food
• Better managing stormwater runoff

Additionally, D.C. leads the nation in green building practices, with the most LEED-certified square feet per capita. In the last decade, public schools in the city have led the way in energy-efficient construction and are working toward a net-zero energy school system that produces as much energy as it consumes.

#5: Honolulu, HI

The City of Honolulu has implemented a climate action plan that outlines 5 areas the island will focus on to reach a net-negative carbon economy by 2045. The plan includes actions such as support for traditional farming and fishing practices and planting trees.

Honolulu’s bike-share program, Biki, is one of the most-used bike-share programs in the country. The city also has the highest solar power capacity per person in the United States, according to a 2022 survey.

#6: San Diego, CA

San Diego is on a mission to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. Their action plan, called Our Climate Our Future, calls for:

• Protecting the city’s 150+ urban canyons. These canyons are pockets of green throughout the city and offer crucial habitat for wildlife.
• Developing Cool Zones to provide relief in extreme heat.
• Creating floodable waterfront parks and living coastlines that protect against coastal flooding.
• Making it easiest to commute by bike or public transit.

The city is also working towards 100% renewable energy by 2035. Currently, 53% of the city’s power comes from renewable sources like solar and wind.

#7: Fremont, CA

In 2017, Fremont joined 10 other cities and the County of Alameda to create Ava Community Energy, an electricity generation provider. On average, 64% of the provider’s electricity comes from solar, wind, and other renewable sources. Just 4% comes from fossil fuels. That renewable power is helping the city make strides toward the climate goals laid out in the Climate Ready Fremont plan, which calls for a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Fremont has also literally gone green. It was one of three cities to earn a nod from WalletHub for having the highest percent of green space. In fact, 70% of Fremont residents live within 10 minutes of a park.

#8: Irvine, CA

Irvine, California aims to aggressively reduce its greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades. The city offers a host of creative ways for residents and business owners alike to join the initiative.

The Cool Irvine Program invites residents to take steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. It suggests actions that range from taking the train to work and opting for a shorter shower to installing solar panels. They can even see the community’s progress on the program’s dashboard.

The city also works to offset greenhouse gas emissions by offering incentives for switching to an electric vehicle and adding more public charging stations.

#9: Portland, OR

As a city known for keeping it weird and ecologically friendly, Portland’s spot on the list isn’t too surprising.

WalletHub named Portland one of the two best cities to bike in. Cyclists have nearly 400 miles of bikeways to choose from, where they can pedal beneath a canopy of trees or alongside the Willamette River. It’s no wonder so many Portland residents opt for an eco-friendly commute. The city is also working to create more green jobs, switch its fleet to electric vehicles, and take other sustainable actions.

Portland has a history of green initiatives. By 2016, it had replaced about 45,000 streetlights with LED bulbs. The bulbs were projected to cut energy use in half and save about $1.5 million a year.

#10: Minneapolis, MN

Portland shares its crown as the best city for cyclists with the next entry on the list, Minneapolis. In fact, Minneapolis offers many eco-friendly ways to get around. If biking to work is your style, the city offers 89 miles of trail, 36 miles of curb-protected bikeway, and 140 miles of painted bike lane. You could also hop on a metro, a scooter, or take a safe walking route.

The city is also working to plant more trees, create new green jobs, and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

#11: Seattle, WA

Seattle’s climate-change efforts focus on the transportation and building sectors, two of the city’s largest sources of carbon emissions, alongside climate justice. In 2025, the city began modernizing its climate plan to focus on climate resilience, adaptation, public health, and other goals.

Seattle is also home to the nation’s first carbon-neutral utility company. Seattle City Light, the city’s public electric utility, reached that important milestone in 2005. 77% of that renewable power comes from hydroelectric dams.

#12: Sacramento, CA

Sacramento made the list as the 12th greenest city in the United States! Sac is working to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change with many different initiatives. These include:

• Growing the urban forest here in the City of Trees
• Building flood resilience
• Encouraging electric vehicles, public transit, and other options for a greener commute

The Railyards is part of the city’s environmental efforts, thanks in part to green building practices like urban infill. Urban infill fights urban sprawl by repurposing unused or underutilized property. At the Railyards, that redevelopment also involved extensive environmental cleanup to remove hazardous materials from the soil and groundwater.

The Railyards will add 30 more acres of green open space to Sacramento and offer eco-friendly transport options like cycling paths and public transit, including the light rail station and the Sacramento Valley Station.

#13: St. Paul, MN

Number 13 on our list, St. Paul, Minnesota, has been called a “geothermal epicenter,” and for good reason. The city has made investing in geothermal energy a core component of its work to transition to renewable energy and reduce emissions.

Geothermal systems draw on Earth’s stable underground temperature. St. Paul uses this technology to heat and cool buildings efficiently.

St. Paul is implementing geothermal systems in public schools, city buildings, and even the local zoo. The Como Park Zoo & Conservatory accounts for one quarter of the energy used by the city’s buildings. Transitioning the zoo to geothermal is expected to increase its energy efficiency and save up to $1.8 million over three years.

#14: Madison, WI

Madison has a storied history of sustainability. The city launched the nation’s first curbside recycling program in 1968. The League of American Bicyclists also recognizes it as one of the nation’s most bicycle-friendly communities. The city held a gold ranking from 2006 until 2015, when it became one of five cities in the U.S. to earn a platinum award.

Cyclists and other commuters in Madison will have plenty of greenery to enjoy. The city has roughly 11,000 acres of tree canopy; trees cover 22% of its total land area. All that foliage helps capture carbon and cool urban heat islands.

#15: Denver, CO

In 2026, Denver earned LEED for Cities Platinum Certification for its sustainability efforts, particularly its work on water efficiency, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one of only eight cities in the world to earn the platinum certification.

The city has built 16 solar gardens and counting above local parking lots and rooftops. These gardens will reduce emissions equivalent to taking 1,000 cars off the road. They donate extra electricity from these solar arrays to Denver families.

These 15 U.S. cities are working to create healthier, more equitable justice through their environmental efforts. What would you like to see your city doing to preserve the environment? Share with us on social media.

This blog post was originally published in 2022. It was updated in 2026 to reflect the latest environmental information and rankings from WalletHub.