Milwaukee Is Great Lakes’ Greenest City

Three Bridges Park. Photo from the City of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee is the greenest city in the Great Lakes, according to a ranking by WalletHub, a personal finance website.

The city ranks 54th, according to the group’s nationwide survey. Top Great Lakes regional cities also include Chicago at 73, Cleveland at 92 and Detroit at 95.

Nationwide, the top five greenest cities are San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, Irvine and San Jose.

The categories that determined the ranks include environment, transportation, energy sources, lifestyle and policy.

The Great Lakes region scores some big points in some areas like highest use of bikes. Minneapolis ranks first and Madison ranks third in that category. Cincinnati ranks 85th.

A study by Earth Advantage Institute, reports that going green can reduce energy and water costs. Making homes more sustainable increases their value.

The WalletHub website reports that sustainability can also improve health by reducing air pollution and promoting more exercise like biking.

Farmers markets, urban farming, green roofs, biking programs and more green spaces can help cities become more sustainable, WalletHub reports. And some researchers suggest more green spaces can lower crime.

This story was originally published by Great Lakes Echo.