Alpharetta residents can breathe easier — literally — as the city secures seventh place among America’s greenest small cities with the cleanest air in the entire ranking.
🌿 What We Know: Alpharetta outperformed hundreds of other small cities across the nation in a comprehensive environmental study by Compare the Market Australia. The city dominated in two critical categories — boasting the best air quality with an Air Quality Index of 62 and leading all cities with 110 Energy Star certified buildings.
🏙️ Who Made It Happen: While Alpharetta shines, Palo Alto, California claimed the top spot with a perfect Green City Score of 100, followed by Rockville, Maryland at 93.02. The study evaluated cities under 100,000 residents across seven sustainability metrics including renewable energy ratings, farmers markets, and EV charging infrastructure.
🔍 Why This Should Catch Your Attention: Despite scoring lower in alternative transportation (2.80 out of 10), Alpharetta’s impressive showing in other categories earned it a solid Green City Score of 72.43. The city’s 94 EV charging stations and walkability score of 14.8 demonstrate growing infrastructure for sustainable living.
🌎 What’s Next: As climate concerns grow nationwide, Alpharetta’s performance sets a benchmark for other small cities. The study reveals West Coast cities generally scored higher in sustainability metrics, suggesting eastern communities like Alpharetta are breaking the mold with their environmental initiatives.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
