Earth Day is just around the corner. So, which cities stack up as the most eco-friendly?

There is never a bad time of year to focus on our relationship with the environment. However, as Earth Day and the rejuvenation of Spring approach, our responsibility to our planet may seem all the more pressing.

As greenhouse gas levels continue to rise and temperatures warm, the planet increasingly faces consequences such as less nutritious crops and more severe weather patterns. Many of these emissions come from the transportation sector, with personal automobiles as a prominent contributor. In addition to driving greener vehicles, there are other factors that can help protect the environment as well, such as investing in renewable energy, cleaner air, greater park space, and a more compact physical footprint. Not all communities do their fair share in going eco-friendly. Some cities see a high share of environmentally-conscious vehicles while others devote more effort toward other green endeavors (some invest in neither). Which are those select few that perform strongly in both?

To honor our planet, Insurify decided to recognize the cities that epitomize eco-friendly driving and living in each state. Here are the winners of Insurify’s 2019 Greenest Cities Awards!

Selection Process for Insurify’s 2019 Greenest Cities Awards

To find the most environmentally-conscious cities by state, data scientists at Insurify used a combination of proprietary automotive data and external sources. To begin, Insurify analyzed its database of over 1.6 million car insurance applications to rank each state’s cities by their collective vehicular carbon footprint. States with insufficient city data were omitted from the analysis. The scoring algorithm factored in fuel-efficiency, engine displacement, drivetrain, annual mileage, and vehicles per household to identify the top five cities per state for greenest drivers. Following this, the data team added scoring boosts in accordance with statistics on citywide renewable electricity programs, park quality, urban sprawl, and air quality index to determine the number one most eco-friendly city in each state. The relative weight of each environmental impact in the algorithm was informed in part by Drawdown Solution’s ranking of various green reforms.

InputImpact
Fuel EfficiencyMore fuel-efficient engine types such as hybrids and EVs have a lower impact on the environment.
Engine DisplacementTraditionally, larger engines have been more polluting.
DrivetrainDrivetrain (4×4, AWD, RWD, FWD) impacts fuel consumption.
Annual MileageLower mileage reduces impact.
Vehicles per HouseholdLower vehicle-to-driver ratio reduces overall household impact.

The results display a list ranging from small towns to large metropolitan areas – all commendable in their commitment to green living and driving.

Winners of Insurify’s 2019 Greenest Cities Awards

Alabama: Gulf Shores

Arizona: Scottsdale

Arkansas: Fayetteville

California: West Hollywood

Colorado: Boulder

Connecticut: Bridgeport

Delaware: Magnolia

Florida: Lady Lake

Georgia: Clarkston

Idaho: Boise

Illinois: Urbana

Indiana: Bloomington

Iowa: Iowa City

Kansas: Olathe

Kentucky: Fairdale

Louisiana: Alexandria

Maryland: Catonsville

Massachusetts: Brighton

Michigan: East Lansing

Minnesota: Hopkins

Mississippi: Pascagoula

Missouri: Columbia

Montana: Helena

Nebraska: Lincoln

Nevada: Henderson

New Hampshire: Nashua

New Jersey: Asbury Park

New Mexico: Las Vegas

New York: Jamaica

North Carolina: Morrisville

North Dakota: Fargo

Ohio: Bedford

Oklahoma: Norman

Oregon: Eugene

Pennsylvania: Lansdowne

Rhode Island: Pawtucket

South Carolina: Clemson

Tennessee: Cookeville

Texas: Mount Pleasant

Utah: Orem

Virginia: Charlottesville

Washington: Redmond

Wisconsin: Madison

Wyoming: Laramie


 

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