Maine Goes Green: Ranked One of America’s Most Eco-Friendly States

There are a lot of great reasons why living in Maine is awesome.

Right at the top of that list is the beautiful landscape and pristine coastline—plus the fact that Mainers do a pretty darn good job of conserving and taking care of it.

That commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. A recent report shows that Mainers are breathing easy when it comes to our environmental impact.

Maine was Named the 5th Greenest State in the Nation

Wallethub.com, a national affairs website, recently published its annual report on the greenest states in America.

The Pine Tree State did well in this year’s report, earning the title of the 5th greenest state in the nation. All Mainers should take a bow—this is definitely a ranking to be proud of.

Wallethub.com gave Maine a "green score" of 69.96 out of a possible 100 points. The scoring system is based on three major categories to determine a state's eco-friendliness: Environmental Quality, Eco-Friendly Behaviors, and Climate Change Contributions. These categories were further broken down into 28 subcategories to provide as much detail as possible. You can read more about the methodology here.

Maine Was Recognized for its Eco-Friendliness and Environmental Quality

Maine's category rankings were strong—especially in Eco-Friendly Behaviors, where it ranked 4th overall, and Environmental Quality, where it placed 6th. The state ranked a bit lower in Climate Change Contributions, coming in at 23rd. Still, the overall performance was solid enough to keep Maine in the top 5.

It probably comes as no surprise to see Maine ranked so highly in this report. The state and its citizens have long recognized the importance of protecting our climate and natural resources. We're also proud of our quality of life, which includes our amazing-tasting water and clean air. These are just a few of the many reasons why Maine is such a great place to live.

The Entire New England Region Was Recognized for Its Positive Environmental Impact

Maine was joined by many of its New England cousins on the top end of Wallethub's report. Every single state can be found in the top 20. Here is how they finished.

1. Vermont - I mean, it is the Green Mountain State
8. Massachusetts 
10. Connecticut
12. New Hampshire
18. Rhode Island

READ MORE: Acadia National Park is Home to Maine's Best Campground

Congratulations to West Virginia at being the least green state. Nice to see my former home is still doing nothing to protect its beauty.

You can check out the entire list here.