LEWISTON, ID—WalletHub has released its report on 2024’s Greenest States, and Washington is the fifth-greenest state. California is ranked 1st nationally, followed by Vermont, New York, and Maryland. Idaho is ranked 30th.
The report comes as Earth Day approaches. Last year, the U.S. experienced $92.9 billion in damage from weather and climate disasters.
The personal-finance website compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Environmental Quality, 2) Eco-Friendly Behaviors and 3) Climate-Change Contributions. Analysts used 25 key metrics that focused on the current health of the environment and residents’ environmental friendliness, including energy consumption from renewable resources, gasoline consumption, air and soil quality, and other topics.
“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,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe says. “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.”
Washington State ranked 1st in the percentage of renewable energy consumption, 5th in gallons of gasoline consumed per capita, as well as LEED-certified buildings per capita, 11th overall in air quality, 14th in energy consumption per capita, and 20th in soil quality.
For the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/greenest-states/11987
