Dirtiest cities in the US; everyone desires to reside in a tidy city because the environment where you live can influence your quality of life.
From providing clear sunsets to improving health outcomes.
So, which cities rank the lowest in terms of environmental cleanliness? We examined the most populous cities in the U.S. using the following criteria:
- The American Lung Association calculates the weighted average of high ozone days by calendar quarter and compares it to the 24-hour standard to determine the number of high ozone days.
- LawnStarter’s water quality ranking evaluates 200 U.S. cities, considering factors like water quality violations, basic plumbing, and consumer satisfaction.
- The U.S. Energy Information Administration compiles data on carbon dioxide emissions by million metric tons for each state.
- The National Renewable Energy Laboratory monitors electric vehicle registrations in each state, indicating a commitment to cleaner energy in the future.
Using these metrics, We crunched the numbers to determine the top 6 dirtiest cities in America.
6. Houston, Texas
Houston ranks poorly in terms of water quality compared to other cities.
Furthermore, Texas tops the list for carbon dioxide emissions among all the states in our analysis.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas attributes this to a large population heavily dependent on cars and the state’s energy-intensive manufacturing sector.
5. Riverside, California
Riverside stands out on this list for having the highest number of high ozone days.
Furthermore, when we consider water quality, it ranks among the 10 worst areas we examined.
California does indeed have a significant concentration of electric vehicles, but as we observed with Los Angeles, the state also generates a substantial amount of carbon dioxide emissions, likely due to its large population.
4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh follows as the next city on our list of the dirtiest places.
The water quality here poses a concern, as it ranks among the lowest of all the places we assessed.
Additionally, Pennsylvania’s carbon dioxide emissions are relatively high, exceeding 218 million metric tons.
While electric vehicles are somewhat prevalent, the state falls in the middle when compared to the rest of our list.
3. Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis lacks available data on ozone days, but the city’s water quality ranking is notably low.
Additionally, the state of Indiana falls in the middle among the areas we examined for carbon dioxide emissions, and the number of EV registrations hovers just above 10,000.
2. Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles holds the 193rd position for water quality in the ranking of 200 cities conducted by Lawn Starter, making it the lowest-ranked city among the 50 we assessed.
Furthermore, the city experiences one of the highest numbers of ozone days, exceeding 114 each year.
At the state level, California is addressing its elevated carbon dioxide emissions, primarily due to its ownership of over half a million EVs, which aligns with the state’s affluence and the significant presence of Tesla vehicles.
1. New Orleans, Louisiana
While New Orleans is undeniably one of the country’s most distinctive and charming cities, it occupies the number one position on our list of the dirtiest cities.
The city’s water quality ranks among the lowest on our list. Furthermore, Louisiana boasts only 3,000 electric vehicle registrations.
However, carbon dioxide emissions partially mitigate these concerns, as they fall in the middle among the cities we assessed.
