The Cleanest Cities in the United States: A 2025 Study
The U.S. is home to some of the most iconic cities in the world, from New York to New Orleans, and from Miami to L.A. While each location comes with its own charms and attractions, one of the first things people tend to notice about a given location is its cleanliness. While some cities boast spotless streets, clean air, and well-maintained public spaces, others struggle with pollution, litter, and infrastructure issues that make them less appealing not only to tourists but also to their residents.
So, what makes a city truly “clean?” There’s no single answer. A mix of elements, ranging from air and water quality to waste management, determines whether a city is hospitably tidy or concerningly hazardous.
Today, Oxi Fresh is examining the key factors that determine a metropolitan area’s level of cleanliness to identify the cleanest cities in the U.S.
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What Makes a City Clean?
To determine which U.S. cities rank highest in cleanliness, we analyzed air quality, tap water quality, rodent and cockroach infestations, vandalism, litter levels, and population density. Each of these elements provides insight into the overall cleanliness and livability of a city.
Air quality was assessed based on the number of days in which the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained at safe levels. A city with consistently clean air typically indicates lower pollution levels and more effective environmental policies. Tap water quality was measured by evaluating the presence of contaminants that exceed health guidelines, offering a clear indication of how well a city maintains its drinking water systems.
Beyond air and water, pest infestations serve as an indicator of sanitation practices. A city with frequent rodent or cockroach problems may struggle with waste management or overcrowding. Similarly, vandalism and litter levels reflect the effectiveness of public maintenance efforts and community engagement in maintaining clean and welcoming neighborhoods.
Lastly, population density plays a crucial role. More people means more waste, so cities that successfully manage waste, pollution, and public space upkeep despite a high population density demonstrate strong urban planning and effective governance.
With all these factors in mind, we can identify the cities that have successfully prioritized cleanliness and those that still have room for improvement.
Why Are Some Cities Cleaner than Others?
Clean cities don’t just happen by chance. While some factors influencing a city’s cleanliness are naturally occurring, most are a matter of public policy.
Waste Management
Sadly, garbage is a part of life, but a city’s ability to manage its waste efficiently is a major factor in maintaining cleanliness. Places with strong waste disposal systems tend to have less litter and fewer pest problems. Regular trash collection, recycling programs, and composting initiatives make a noticeable difference.
Take the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Metropolitan Area, for example, which ranks as the cleanest metro area in America. The area has a decades-long history of investing in robust recycling and composting programs, which reduce landfill waste and keep streets free of excess trash. By contrast, cities that lack effective waste management programs often see garbage accumulate in public spaces, leading to pollution and attracting rodents. New York City has struggled with waste removal for centuries, due largely to a lack of back alleys for trash bins. As a result, it’s now notorious for its rampant rat infestations, though many efforts have been made in recent years to combat the problem. The New York-Newark-Jersey City Metropolitan Area has been ranked at the bottom of our list, receiving a “D” cleanliness grade.
City Planning and Infrastructure
Local government policies and urban planning play a major part in a city’s cleanliness. Cities with strict environmental regulations and innovative urban design often exhibit better waste management and lower pollution levels. Public policies on air quality, waste disposal, and green space maintenance all contribute to a city’s overall health. Additionally, public infrastructure, such as roads, sidewalks, sewers, and drainage systems, must be adequately maintained to prevent issues like littering and deterioration.
Seattle, widely regarded as one of the best places to live in the country, is also one of the cleanest cities in the U.S., primarily due to the government’s strict dedication to litter cleanup initiatives. Additionally, the city boasts many parks and green spaces, which it invests heavily in maintaining.
Pollution and Industrial Waste
Air and water quality are major components of a city’s livability. Therefore, it’s no surprise that fossil fuel emissions, factory output, and other pollutants, when not properly managed or regulated, can significantly degrade the quality of air and water, leading to smog and health issues for residents. Cities with the cleanest air and water are usually those with stricter pollution controls and more green spaces.
Minneapolis is one of the cities with the cleanest air in the U.S. In 2021, the city launched a project to monitor air quality throughout the area, aiming to identify problem areas and target those with higher pollution levels more effectively. On the other hand, cities with high industrial activity, such as Houston, TX, often struggle with air pollution despite efforts to improve conditions.
Poverty and Crime Rates
Cities that offer economic opportunities and community engagement programs often have cleaner neighborhoods. When public spaces are well-maintained and supported by local initiatives, residents take greater pride in their surroundings.
Historically, Detroit, MI, a city with a reputation for high crime, has taken steps to improve its cleanliness by investing in community-led cleanup efforts. Some challenges remain, but these initiatives have contributed to creating a cleaner and more inviting city environment. Today, though it still struggles with some forms of vandalism, it also has some of the cleanest city water in the country.
Conclusion
From recycling and reducing waste to supporting local initiatives that improve public spaces, urban cleanliness is often a top-down matter. Places that embrace sustainable practices, invest in public services, and encourage residents to take pride in their surroundings tend to be the ones that stand out.
At Oxi Fresh, we understand the importance of a clean environment, not just outdoors, but also inside your home. Fresh carpets are a key part of a healthy living space, and our eco-friendly carpet cleaning services help keep homes and businesses looking, feeling, and smelling their best.
The Cleanest American Cities
Methodology
The cleanest places in the United States were identified by analyzing 35 major U.S. metro areas based on seven criteria to determine their cleanliness. Each metro area was graded on air and drinking water quality, focusing on pollution levels and contaminants. Additionally, metros were graded on the cleanliness of residential areas, which included evaluating the prevalence of rodent or cockroach infestations and the presence of litter or vandalism within a half-block radius. The analysis also considered the population density of each metro area, as a higher concentration of people can lead to increased pollution, poorer air quality, greater strain on infrastructure, and more complicated waste management. The metro areas can earn up to 100 points for each of the seven factors, which is then totaled to find their Cleanliness Score.
The Seven Cleanliness Factors Used to Grade Each Metro Area
- Population Density: The number of people per square mile.
- Rodents: The percentage of housing units with signs of mice, rats, or other rodents inside the home in the past 12 months.
- Cockroaches: The percentage of housing units with signs of cockroaches inside the home in the past 12 months.
- Vandalism: The percentage of homes without vandalized or abandoned buildings within a half-block radius.
- Litter: The percentage of homes without litter, trash, or junk on the streets or properties within a half-block radius.
- Air Quality: The number of days in 2024 that the daily Air Quality Index (AQI) values were classified as ‘Good’ (values of 50 AQI or less) for all AQI pollutants: CO, NO₂, Ozone, PM10, and PM2.5.
- Tap Water Quality: The number of different types of contaminants detected in the metro area’s drinking water that exceeded the Environmental Working Group (EWG) health guidelines.
American Cities Ranked on Cleanliness
| # | Metro Area | Population | Area (mi²) | Population Density | Rodents | Cockroaches | Vandalism | Litter | Air Quality | Tap Water Quality | Cleanliness Score | Cleanliness Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,509,925 | 6,687 | 375 | 9.1% | 0.9% | 90.3% | 86.2% | 280 | 6.8 | 596.8 | A+ |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 4,044,837 | 5,870 | 689 | 5.3% | 2.0% | 89.9% | 87.9% | 205 | 10.5 | 572.1 | A |
| 3 | Rochester, NY | 1,052,087 | 2,928 | 359 | 16.5% | 1.5% | 88.1% | 88.1% | 268 | 12.0 | 541.7 | A- |
| 4 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 4,342,304 | 3,892 | 1,116 | 8.2% | 2.2% | 87.4% | 91.7% | 118 | 5.0 | 516.7 | B+ |
| 5 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,712,020 | 7,048 | 527 | 18.2% | 1.4% | 92.2% | 90.6% | 207 | 10.8 | 512.6 | B+ |
| 6 | Pittsburgh, PA | 2,422,725 | 5,640 | 430 | 14.4% | 1.6% | 85.2% | 89.0% | 168 | 11.0 | 499.9 | B |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | 1,350,123 | 4,364 | 309 | 11.3% | 11.8% | 89.8% | 90.5% | 253 | 9.3 | 495.2 | B |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 3,005,131 | 8,345 | 360 | 9.0% | 2.5% | 91.9% | 88.1% | 78 | 12.5 | 484.1 | B |
| 9 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 5,070,110 | 14,569 | 348 | 2.1% | 15.5% | 93.9% | 89.8% | 24 | 8.5 | 475.2 | B |
| 10 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 2,219,865 | 7,257 | 306 | 12.2% | 6.4% | 87.3% | 90.9% | 148 | 9.5 | 473.7 | B- |
| 11 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 962,165 | 2,359 | 408 | 5.7% | 29.7% | 89.5% | 91.1% | 199 | 12.0 | 472.4 | B- |
| 12 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 1,560,424 | 1,455 | 1,073 | 12.1% | 2.5% | 89.3% | 85.3% | 236 | 16.3 | 469.6 | B- |
| 13 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 6,305,839 | 8,786 | 718 | 3.4% | 18.3% | 93.2% | 92.6% | 109 | 10.0 | 465.6 | B- |
| 14 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 2,336,573 | 7,892 | 296 | 2.1% | 14.1% | 91.2% | 87.1% | 89 | 16.0 | 465.3 | B- |
| 15 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,945,767 | 2,680 | 726 | 6.3% | 9.8% | 93.6% | 88.4% | 195 | 14.5 | 462.8 | B- |
| 16 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,834,316 | 2,602 | 1,089 | 18.3% | 5.4% | 88.0% | 86.2% | 201 | 7.0 | 462.5 | B- |
| 17 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,509,231 | 2,118 | 712 | 8.9% | 24.1% | 95.3% | 95.5% | 212 | 11.7 | 461.9 | B- |
| 18 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,919,179 | 3,486 | 1,411 | 24.5% | 4.2% | 93.6% | 87.3% | 253 | 10.8 | 456.1 | B- |
| 19 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 4,688,053 | 27,277 | 172 | 5.2% | 9.5% | 90.8% | 87.6% | 27 | 11.5 | 454.2 | B- |
| 20 | Cleveland, OH | 2,158,932 | 2,701 | 799 | 13.0% | 3.2% | 86.9% | 88.0% | 137 | 13.0 | 453.6 | B- |
| 21 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,183,199 | 5,067 | 1,220 | 2.9% | 18.0% | 92.4% | 92.6% | 162 | 12.5 | 448.8 | C+ |
| 22 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 1,335,549 | 4,982 | 268 | 11.1% | 18.6% | 82.8% | 86.3% | 106 | 7.0 | 445.6 | C+ |
| 23 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 3,342,963 | 2,516 | 1,329 | 2.8% | 29.1% | 92.9% | 90.3% | 167 | 11.8 | 442.0 | C+ |
| 24 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 2,703,999 | 7,313 | 370 | 6.3% | 28.3% | 89.3% | 89.0% | 160 | 15.7 | 441.8 | C+ |
| 25 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,566,961 | 2,470 | 1,849 | 8.5% | 3.8% | 89.3% | 81.1% | 120 | 10.0 | 432.7 | C+ |
| 26 | Oklahoma City, OK | 1,477,926 | 5,512 | 268 | 15.9% | 12.2% | 87.6% | 89.5% | 149 | 12.0 | 428.4 | C+ |
| 27 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 2,272,910 | 4,385 | 518 | 12.8% | 6.2% | 88.8% | 89.2% | 131 | 15.0 | 427.5 | C+ |
| 28 | Birmingham, AL | 1,184,290 | 5,280 | 224 | 15.4% | 27.9% | 80.0% | 87.7% | 146 | 11.0 | 409.6 | C |
| 29 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,100,037 | 8,676 | 934 | 4.2% | 19.4% | 92.4% | 90.7% | 85 | 16.0 | 408.1 | C |
| 30 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 9,262,559 | 6,923 | 1,338 | 10.9% | 4.7% | 89.8% | 88.6% | 95 | 13.0 | 402.1 | C |
| 31 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 6,304,449 | 6,035 | 1,045 | 17.2% | 10.4% | 91.7% | 89.5% | 200 | 13.5 | 401.6 | C |
| 32 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 7,510,252 | 8,838 | 850 | 5.6% | 33.3% | 90.1% | 89.9% | 40 | 15.3 | 379.1 | C- |
| 33 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 6,246,160 | 4,603 | 1,357 | 19.9% | 7.4% | 89.7% | 88.5% | 136 | 16.3 | 365.2 | D+ |
| 34 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 12,799,100 | 4,853 | 2,637 | 5.6% | 13.9% | 89.1% | 80.7% | 37 | 12.8 | 353.9 | D+ |
| 35 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 19,498,248 | 6,140 | 3,176 | 17.0% | 20.1% | 90.6% | 81.8% | 165 | 10.5 | 337.7 | D |
Things to Note About the Data Used for This Study:
- The water quality data includes the average number of different types of contaminants detected in the tap water provided by the largest utility supplier to each major city in the metro area. This data was collected between 2021 and 2023.
- The data from the American Housing Survey (including rodents, cockroaches, vandalism, and litter) is from 2023 for most of the metro areas, while others rely on data from 2019 or 2021.
- The following metro areas have data from 2021: Rochester, NY; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI; Richmond, VA; Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL; San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; and Birmingham, AL
- The following metro areas have data from 2019: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA; Pittsburgh, PA; Kansas City, MO-KS; Raleigh-Cary, NC; and Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Sources
Population Density: https://censusreporter.org/
Rodents: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html
Cockroaches: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html
Vandalism: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html
Litter: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs.html
Air Quality: https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/air-data-multiyear-tile-plot
Tap Water Quality: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/
