Tired of “Highests” and “Worsts?” Honolulu Finally Gets High Marks

Another reason why we pay what we do to live here.

October 13, 2017

Rachel Ross Bradley,

Photo: Thinkstock

Honolulu recently ranked as the 4th greenest city of the 100 largest cities in the country, according to Wallethub. Walk around downtown or Kaka’ako, and you may feel like O‘ahu is a concrete jungle that just keeps building.

But that’s because we may find it easy to forget that 284,527 acres of O‘ahu—more than 73 percent of our total island—is designated for conservation or agricultural use. We really are still mostly green. And when compared to our counterparts, well, we’re in the top five of doing well.

Images: Courtesy of Wallethub

Click on the image to enlarge the photo.

The study looked at 22 indicators of environmental health and sustainability, including everything from air quality to the number of commuters who drive to and from work each day. Honolulu placed first for percentage of green space and for farmers markets per capita, and ranked high on the following as well:

Median Air Quality Index: 2nd place
Greenhouse gas emissions per capita: 5th
Percent of commuters who drive: 12th
Walk Score, a measure of walkability: 21st

The greenest cities? San Francisco, followed by San Diego and Fremont, California. We beat out cities that include Portland, Oregon, known for its excellent public transportation and bike commuters and Seattle (the Emerald City!), with its rolling green hills and vibrant waterfront.

For the full report, click here.