Best States for Environmental Protection

The U.S. produces over 292 million tons of waste per year, or over 4.9 pounds per person per day, according to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, over 50% of Americans worry a great deal about pollution of water sources and the contamination of soil and water by toxic waste. Pollution and waste are issues across the U.S., but some states work harder than others to limit their impact.

To highlight states that understand nature’s importance and the ones that need to improve, SmileHub compared the 50 states across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of environmental charities per capita to industrial toxins per square mile of land area to climate change vulnerability.

If you want to support environmental protection but don’t know where to donate, check out our picks for the Best Charities for Environmental Protection in 2025.

• Main Findings
• Methodology

Main Findings

Most Environmentally-Friendly States

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Environmental Protection Rank	Energy Consumption & Waste Disposal Rank	Emission & Pollution Contributions Rank
1	California	78.06	1	5	14
2	Washington	72.74	4	2	8
3	New York	71.57	15	1	2
4	Vermont	70.02	5	4	17
5	Maryland	69.41	6	9	3
6	Hawaii	69.22	12	12	1
7	Massachusetts	68.29	7	3	19
8	New Jersey	67.73	9	11	6
9	Oregon	66.69	3	8	23
10	Virginia	66.02	2	18	9
11	Minnesota	64.24	17	6	10
12	Colorado	63.34	10	16	11
13	Maine	61.29	32	10	4
14	Connecticut	60.91	34	7	5
15	Rhode Island	58.03	33	13	7
16	Pennsylvania	57.54	13	17	21
17	North Carolina	56.95	20	19	13
18	New Hampshire	55.11	30	15	15
19	Illinois	55.08	25	14	22
20	Florida	53.52	8	24	29
21	Michigan	52.84	38	21	16
22	Wisconsin	52.59	24	32	12
23	Arizona	49.65	16	20	37
24	Texas	48.78	18	31	27
25	Montana	48.56	11	35	33
26	South Dakota	47.94	39	29	20
27	Missouri	47.73	41	27	24
28	Ohio	47.23	21	26	32
29	Idaho	47.22	19	36	26
30	Utah	46.87	36	30	25
31	South Carolina	45.87	45	39	18
32	New Mexico	45.74	28	28	31
33	Georgia	44.84	29	25	34
34	Delaware	44.58	35	23	35
35	Nevada	42.80	37	22	42
36	Alaska	41.12	14	46	40
37	Nebraska	41.06	22	41	38
38	Indiana	40.53	42	37	30
39	Oklahoma	39.80	27	38	41
40	Arkansas	39.42	40	40	36
41	Tennessee	38.79	46	42	28
42	Iowa	38.68	31	33	45
43	Kansas	37.70	48	34	39
44	Wyoming	34.08	26	49	43
45	Kentucky	33.60	47	43	44
46	North Dakota	33.29	43	44	46
47	Alabama	31.65	44	47	48
48	Mississippi	27.90	49	48	47
49	West Virginia	27.61	50	45	49
50	Louisiana	27.56	23	50	50

Notes: *1 = Best

With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Methodology

In order to determine the best states for environmental protection, SmileHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Environmental Protection, 2) Energy Consumption & Waste Disposal and 3) Emission & Pollution Contributions.

We evaluated those dimensions using 25 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of eco-friendliness. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for population differences across states.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Environmental Protection - Total Points: 30

• Share of State Land Designated for Parks and Wildlife: Full Weight (~4.62 points)

• Number of State Conservation Programs and Initiatives: Half Weight (~2.31 points)
  Note: This metric refers to the number of conservation programs listed for each state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service that directly or indirectly help the animals in each state.

• Environmental Protection Charities per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.62 points)

• Green Buildings per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.62 points)
  Note: This metric measures the number of LEED-certified units per capita.

• Vulnerability to Climate Change: Full Weight (~4.62 points)
  Note: This metric is determined by taking the average number of days of climate shift index values of 3 or higher, based on Climate Central data from June 2024 through August 2024. Record-shattering temperatures and widespread local heat extremes are among the deadliest weather-related hazards, so the greater the number of days, the more vulnerable to climate change we consider the state.

• Presence of Water Reuse Regulations or Guidelines: Full Weight (~4.62 Points)
  Composite metric; There are 10 different end uses for water reuse: agriculture, environmental, impoundments, industry, landscaping, consumption by livestock, centralized non-potable, onsite non-potable, potable, rainwater collected onsite.
  
  • 1 – The state has a water reuse guidelines/regulation;
    
  • 0 – The state doesn’t have water reuse guidelines/regulations.

• Presence of Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management Policies: Full Weight (~4.62 Points)
  This is a binary metric:
  
  • 1 - The state has green infrastructure for stormwater management policies;
    
  • 0 - The state does not have green infrastructure for stormwater management policies;

  Green infrastructure projects are an innovative approach to stormwater management that can protect water quality and increase a state’s climate resilience. Projects can include:
  Bioswales: Engineered landscape elements designed to increase infiltration of stormwater to the groundwater basin and filter out pollutants.
  Green roofs: Vegetated roof with a layer of soil atop a drainage system to filter contaminants, absorb rainfall and delay runoff to reduce stress on stormwater systems, lower energy bills, reduce heat island effects and improve air quality.
  Permeable pavement: Permeable pavers and porous concrete surfaces that allow water to penetrate pavement and soak slowly into the ground rather than run off into city drains.
  Constructed wetlands: Human-made wetlands that mimic the stormwater capture and nutrient load reduction benefits of natural wetlands and treat waste and stormwater with specific vegetation, soils and bacteria instead of chemicals.
  

Energy Consumption & Waste Disposal - Total Points: 35

• Energy Efficiency Score: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
• Share of Renewable Energy Consumption: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
• Energy Consumption per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
• Gasoline Consumption (in Gallons) per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
• Share of Population Using Green Transportation: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
  Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population who walk, bike, carpool, take public transportation or work from home.
• State Renewable Portfolio Standards: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of renewable portfolio standards in the states. Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) require that a specified percentage of the electricity that utilities sell comes from renewable resources.
  • 0 - States and territories with no standard or target;
    
  • 0.5 - States and territories with a voluntary renewable energy standard or target;
    
  • 1 - States and territories with Renewable Portfolio Standards.
    
• Soil Quality: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
  Note: This metric measures the difference between the median soil pH level and the optimal soil pH level.
• Daily Water Consumption per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
• Water Efficiency and Sustainability Score: Full Weight (~3.50 points)
  Note: This metric is based on data from Alliance for Water Efficiency’s “2022 State Policy Scorecard for Water Efficiency and Sustainability” report.
• Total Tonnage of Landfill Waste per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.50 points)

Emission & Pollution Contributions - Total Points: 35

• Average Number of Health-Based Drinking Water Violations per Community Water System in a State: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
• States with Electronic Waste Recycling Programs: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
• Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
• Methane Emissions per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
• Nitrous Oxide Emissions per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
• Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita*: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
• Median Air Quality Index: Full Weight (~4.38 points)
  Note: This metric measures the average exposure of the general public to particulate matter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) or less in size.
• Industrial Toxins per Square Mile of Land Area: Full Weight (~4.38 points)

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Agriculture, Green Building Council, Energy Information Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, Climate Central, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, National Conference of State Legislatures, The Fertilizer Institute, Alliance for Water Efficiency and United Health Foundation.