Portland Ranked as 2nd “Greenest” City in the Country
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Portland was ranked behind only New York in the site’s list of the country’s “greenest” cities. To make the list, Wallethub analysis compared 100 U.S. cities based on 13 metrics divided into four categories.
It is not the first time that Oregon has been recognized for its environmentally friendly policies and citizens. As GoLocal reported earlier this year, Wallethub ranked Oregon as the 2nd most “Eco-Friendly State” in the country.
How the Study Was Done
A city’s Environmental Quality rating, worth 40 percent of their ranking, factored in the area’s median air quality index, greenhouse-gas emissions per capita, the percentage of parkland in a city and the city's water quality.
“Greenness of Transportation”, which factored in the percentage of commuters drive to work each day, the annual excess fuel consumed and the ability to walk or bike to work in the city. It made up 25 percent of the city’s ranking.
“Greenness of Energy Sources”, worth 20 percent of a city’s grade, factored in their percentage of electricity from renewable sources and the number of smart energy policy and initiatives.
A city’s lifestyle and local policies score rounded out the final 15 percent of a city’s ranking, and measured the number of farmers markets per capita, the number of green jobs and the number of local programs for promoting the use of renewable energy.
Top Marks for Portland
Portland received rankings in the top five for each of the four categories, including a first-place finish for “greenness of transportation.”
The city also finished in a tie for first place with San Francisco, California and Honolulu, Hawaii for cities with the most farmers markets per capita. It also had the fourth-highest bike score of any city, trailing only Madison, Wisconsin, San Francisco and first-place Minneapolis Minnesota.
Related Slideshow: Greenest Colleges in the Pacific Northwest
Related Articles
- Portland Ranked as 2nd “Greenest” City in the Country
- Lewis & Clark Tops Princeton Review “Greenest” College List
- TreeHug PDX Returns to Prove Portland is the Greenest City
- Greenpeace Activists Removed from St. Johns Bridge
- Explore the City By Bike (Safely) On Portland’s Greenways
- EDITORIAL: Charlie Hales Got Played By Greenpeace
- Portland’s Green Endeavor Inc. Helps Chemical Company Reduce Environmental Footprint
- PGE Among The Seven Most Energy Efficient Electric Companies
- Portland, 8th Most Energy-Efficient City in the U.S.
- Senator Ron Wyden Introduces Clean Energy Tax Incentives
- Oregon Has the 4th Lowest Average Monthly Energy Bill in the Nation
- Energy Company Proposes Measures to Make Oregon First Coal-Free State in U.S.
- 7 Oregon Breweries Pledge Support To Clean Energy Economy
- Could Oregon Become a Renewable Energy Gold Mine?
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It