New York is one of the most environmentally-friendly states in the U.S., a recently released study by WalletHub reveals. The Empire State came in third on the list, which compared all 50 states across 28 key metrics like the state’s water quality, share of renewable energy consumption and methane emissions per capita.
“It’s important for every American to do their part to support greener living and protect our environment,” says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “It’s much easier being green in some states than others … 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.”
Here’s what to know.
Why is New York one of the greenest states?
New York earned a total score of 71.59, with only Hawaii and Vermont besting the state.
According to the study, the Empire State has the lowest gasoline consumption in gallons per capita, some of the lowest energy consumption per capita and some of the best soil quality, as the state is tied for fifth with South Dakota.
WalletHub attributes New York state’s low gas consumption to its residents’ extensive use of public transportation, carpools, walking and biking to get around. The state also has some of the lowest carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions per capita.
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How WalletHub assessed environmental friendliness
WalletHub compared each of the 50 states across three factors: environmental quality, eco-friendly behaviors and climate-change contributions.
The environmental quality category took into account these factors:
The eco-friendly behaviors category included these elements:
Green buildings per capita
Total capacity of solar PV systems installed per household
Share of renewable energy consumption
Energy consumption per capita
Gasoline consumption (in gallons) per capita
Daily water consumption per capita
Share of “smart” electricity meters
Alternative-fuel vehicles per capita
Alternative-fuel stations per capita
Average commute time by car
Certified organic farms per capita
Corporate clean energy procurement index score
State renewable portfolio standards
States with electronic waste recycling programs
States with multifamily recycling policies
Water efficiency and sustainability score
Residential recycling rates
The climate-change contributions category analyzed these components:
Carbon-dioxide emissions per capita
Methane emissions per capita
Nitrous-oxide emissions per capita
Fluorinated greenhouse-gas emissions per capita
Data used to create the ranking was collected as of March 12, 2025 and the information was sourced from multiple entities, such as the International Plant Nutrition Institute, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY ranked 3rd most environmentally-friendly state in U.S., study finds