Top 4 Sustainable Cities to Live in

Researching and choosing an environmentally friendly city to move to is a tough task. The best approach is going to be taking a step back and asking yourself what characteristics would like the eco friendly city to have?

  • Do you want local colleges with sustainability programs? 
  • Do you want a variety of volunteer opportunities to get involved in?
  • Do you want government programs to support your sustainability goals?
  • Are you more concerned with wildlife conservation efforts?
  • Or would you like green infrastructure initiatives in your city? 

Based on all of these factors we’ve put together what we think are the top 4 sustainable cities in the U.S. to live in. 

Boston, Massachusetts

When I think of Boston I think of young, clean and cold. Young because Boston College brings thousands of college students into the city every year. Clean because they have dozens of initiatives to produce a cleaner city from LEED buildings to urban greening. Cold because..

It’s cold.

Luckily there are plenty of opportunities for snow sports surrounding the city. If you’re looking for a more casual way to get your nature fix in then Boston’s intense urban greening efforts could do the trick. 

The city is currently launching a new plan to double the number of trees being planted in the city every year. Their goal is to develop a 20 year plan to protect the city through the use of tree planting and developing parks throughout the city. 

Making these parks accessible is also a key part of the plan. Every Bostonian lives within a 10 minute walk from a high-quality public park and the city plans to maintain and even improve that statistic with this new plan. 

When I’m looking at areas of a city to live in this is one of the top priorities on my list. 

Is there an easily accessible park or nature area? 

Knowing that this is taken care of wherever you are in Boston makes me so jealous and makes me think more cities need to have a similar amount of nature. 

Lastly, If you’re looking for a city that knows how to take charge in energy efficiency then Boston is for you. Boston was the #1 most energy efficient city from 2013-2019 according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. 

Massachusetts actually ranks #4 in LEED buildings states in the U.S. largely because of Boston’s dedicated efforts to create environmentally friendly buildings. 

Boston has multiple goals surrounding sustainability. Here are a few of my favorite:

  • 100% reduction in municipal and community-wide carbon emissions by 2050
  • Become a zero waste community and increase the recycling rate to 80%
  • Empower Bostonians to access all parts of the city by foot, bike or public transportation

If you’re looking for a young city that freezes in the winter then Boston is calling your name!

Portland, Oregon

There are more reasons we’re naming Portland as one of the best green cities to live in besides it’s 5,000 plus acres of forest. Portland gets ‘green’ check marks in every category mentioned above. It has a variety of volunteer opportunities, government programs, wildlife conservation initiatives and eco-friendly infrastructure efforts. 

Here are a few government initiatives the Oregon can boast about:

  • Back in 2017, Portland Mayor, Ted Wheeler, pledged to have Portland running on 100% clean energy by 2050
  • The Grey to Green Initiative boosts green infrastructure throughout Portland which includes green streets, eco-roofs, and rain gardens. 
  • Clean Energy Works Portland recently expanded into Clean Energy Works Oregon. This now statewide initiative promotes renewable energy for homeowners through low-interest financing, reduced upfront cost incentives, free of charge energy assessments, and greater flexibility through the use of multiple lenders. 

Portland’s public transportation is also evolving into one of its main selling points as an eco friendly city to live. The MAX light rail, WED commuter rail and Portland Streetcar are all sustainable transportation options for getting around the city. These options, along with the city’s support of commuters using biking and walking to get to work, are reducing the use of cars altogether.

Lastly, Portland also has committed to city ‘greening’. Incorporating tree and plant life into their city in an effort to improve air quality and capture carbon out of the atmosphere. Studies have also shown multiple benefits of cities blending nature into their infrastructure. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the programs and efforts Portland is making to become a more environmentally friendly city feel free to check out more of their programs below:

San Francisco, California

Like Portland, San Francisco is leading the charge for sustainable cities in the U.S. The red and gold city was one of the first large cities in America to ban plastic bag usage back in 2007. They’ve seen great results from this law including less litter, less money allocated towards shipping and manufacturing plastic bags and a reduced strain on recycling programs. 

Their impressive recycling initiatives don’t stop there. 77% of their municipal waste is recorded as recycled as well. It makes a world of a difference when you have a government that supports proper recycling efforts.

If you’re planning on investing into solar energy you won’t be alone. 13.8 out of every 10,000 homeowners use solar energy. This doubles the national average of solar energy usage! 

San Francisco also has multiple beach protection and conservation programs, non profits, and supporters. You’ll have no problem getting involved in the community if you’re looking to make a difference in maintaining the cities’ beautiful beaches. 

Check out Surf Rider, Save The Bay, or Bay Keeper if you’re interested in learning more!

Lastly, San Francisco has a huge population of commuters who walk, bike, or use public transportation just like Portland. Almost 10% of their population walks to work alone. This can largely be contributed to the SF Commuter Benefits Ordinance that requires companies to provide their employees with some sort of benefit for walking, biking, or using public transportation to commute to work. 

San Francisco has a sustainable or conservation initiate for anyone who is looking to get involved no matter what you’re passionate about. 

Denver, Colorado

What comes to mind when you think of Denver? I think of outdoorsy activities like hiking, mountains, snow, fit people, and being high (in elevation). With these stereotypes (that may or may not be true) comes a large appreciation for the outdoors which naturally leads to a strong public effort to maintain the cities surrounding nature.

Some of Denver’s most impactful sustainability goals include:

  • Reduce the cities’ CO2 emissions to below 1990 levels
  • Attain all National Ambient Air Quality Standards
  • Hold energy use below 2012 levels & cut fossil fuels by 50%
  • Grow and/or process 20%+ of food in Colorado

Click here to see a full list of them

Through government policy and a community focused effort, Denver plans on knocking out 24 sustainability goals within the next few decades. 

Their volunteer programs are endless, even through Covid-19. A lot of nonprofits have paused for safety reasons but as long as you bring your mask and stay 6 feet apart you’ll be able to find a way to get involved in the community. 

Check out Volunteer For Outdoor Colorado, Denver Get Involved, or Rocky Mountain Field Institute

I don’t think I could get away with writing about Denver and not mention cannabis. I want to touch on the fact that Denver even has initiatives to sustainably provide marijuana to its residents. 

The Cannabis Sustainability Work Group actually promotes sustainability in the cannabis sector through ongoing learning, developing best practices for usage and farming, and encouraging communication between the cannabis industry, the community, and experts.

Honorable Mentions

This is not an exhaustive list of the cities in the U.S. that care about sustainability. There are dozens of other cities that could have made this list but weren’t included. Here are some of the ones I felt like I couldn’t completely exclude from this post. 

  • Hawaii – The island culture is littered with environmental conservation efforts. The only reason it’s not in the top 4 is because this article is more about the mainland islands. (That title just isn’t as eye catching though.)
  • San Diego, Irvine, Fremont and a few other California cities – California is all around an eco friendly state. There are multiple cities that could have made the list but I had to pick one.
  • New York City – NYC ranks 14 out of the top 100 global cities in eco friendliness with programs like the NYC Carbon Challenge, NYC Zerowaste, and Green NYC.
  • Seattle – Seattle has multiple gardening, compost, and greening programs that help inner city neighborhoods participate in their city-wide goals.

Which Sustainable U.S. City is Right for You?

If your goal is to find a city in the U.S. that has a strong passion for sustainability you won’t be short of options. I would break it down to how you see yourself making a difference. If you want to work on conserving mountain trails then Denver would be a better fit compared to designing LEED approved buildings in Boston.