Sustainable Destinations Report

People are becoming more eco-conscious, with a growing number of activists and public figures speaking out regarding climate change. As well as this, scientists have issued repeated warnings that now is the time to act before it’s too late.

With that said, travellers and holiday lovers may be more concerned as to how to have a more eco-friendly vacation. Staycations are typically a lot more eco-friendly, as there are often no flights involved and more choices available for the eco-conscious traveller. And in the US, there are plenty of staycation options, ranging from a New York City getaway to visiting Hawaii with the kids.

Our experts at The Family Vacation Guide have researched which cities are the most eco-friendly to visit. We looked at the following factors: how good cities were for walking, cycling, and general transit, the number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, as well as sustainable hotels, pollution levels of each city, and emissions produced. This should make it easier to choose your destination for those outdoor family vacations!

The Most Sustainable US Holiday Destinations

1. San Francisco, California

Sustainable Destination Score: 8.52/10

Coming out as the US holiday destination that is the most sustainable, we have San Francisco in the state of California. The city performed well on walkability and public transit availability, scoring 89 on the former and 77 on the latter. It also performed well on the percentage of sustainable hotel options that are available in the city, ranking in the top ten, with 36% of the city’s hotels being deemed sustainable.

2. New York, New York

Sustainable Destination Score: 8.14/10

Coming in second place we have New York City, one of the most iconic cities in the entire world. The city also ranked well for its walkability, scoring 88 out of 100, and availability of public transportation, scoring 89 out of 100. The city also has several vegetarian restaurants that are available, with 29% of the total number being vegetarian-friendly.

3. Washington, District of Columbia

Sustainable Destination Score: 7.95/10

And taking the third spot, we have Washington D.C., which is, of course, the capital city of the United States. The city ranked within the top ten for having a good amount of vegan and vegetarian restaurants available, with 20% of the city’s restaurants being vegan-friendly and 28% vegetarian-friendly. The city also has 31% of its hotels rated as sustainable options, ranking it in the top twenty.

The Best US Destinations For Walking

1. Montpelier, Vermont

Walkability Score: 91/100

The state capital of Vermont comes out as the number one city for walking, scoring 91 out of 100. This score means that day-to-day errands won’t require a vehicle, which inherently means you won’t be producing carbon emissions, making it more eco-friendly.

2. San Francisco, California

Walkability Score: 89/100

San Francisco is a cultural and financial center of Northern California; it is also the fourth most populous city in the state.

In terms of the city’s walkability, it scored 89 out of 100; again, this means most daily errands won’t require a vehicle. The city also has a National Park just a couple of hours away, Pinnacles.

Why not check out the best National Parks for kids to plan an amazing walking getaway with the family?

3. New York City, New York

Walkability Score: 88/100

The third-most walkable city in the US is New York, the Big Apple and the most populous city in the US. It scored 88 out of 100, just one less than San Francisco, meaning you shouldn’t need a vehicle day-to-day.

The Best US Destinations For Public Transit

1. New York City, New York

Public Transit Score: 89

Again, we have New York City, this time ranking as one of the best US cities for public transit.

The city scored 89 out of 100, meaning that for any longer journeys during your visit, public transit will be widely available and, of course, the more eco-friendly option, as opposed to driving a petrol or diesel car. This is especially convenient due to the size of New York, and if you plan to visit attractions such as the Empire State Building or Central Park, you can easily do so.

2. San Francisco, California

Public Transit Score: 77

San Francisco is the second-best city for public transit, scoring 77 out of 100. As such, you can be sure you’d have public transit routes available for any longer trips, such as to visit the Golden Gate Bridge or the California Academy of Sciences.

3. Boston, Massachusetts

Public Transit Score: 72

Next, we have Boston, the capital of Massachusetts and the biggest city in the state. It scored 72 out of 100 for public transit, meaning that you can be sure to have convenient access to it when needed, such as if you plan to visit the New England Aquarium or Fenway Park.

The Best US Destinations For Biking

1. Minneapolis, Massachusetts

Bike Score: 83

Nicknamed the City of Lakes, Minneapolis is the most bike-friendly city in the US, scoring 83 out of 100. This means that for most trips and errands on your day-to-day, a bike will be convenient and a much more eco-friendly option.

2. Portland, Oregon

Bike Score: 83

With a score of 83 and therefore tied with Minneapolis for the most bike-friendly city, we have Portland, the largest city in the state of Oregon.

3. Salt Lake City, Utah

Bike Score: 74

And next, we have Salt Lake City, which is both the capital and largest city of the state of Utah. It scores 74 out of 100; again, there is plenty of bike infrastructure, meaning trips on bikes will be rather convenient.

The US Destinations With The Most Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants

1. Montpelier, Vermont

Total Number of Restaurants: 39

Vegetarian-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 44%

The US destination with the highest percentage of vegetarian-friendly restaurants is Montpelier – Vermont’s state capital and the least-populous state capital in the US.

Of the 39 restaurants the city has on TripAdvisor, 44% of those are vegetarian, meaning you have plenty of eating options if you’d like your dining experience to have a smaller carbon footprint. One such option is Sarducci’s, which is rated 4.5 out of 5 and serves Italian cuisine, as well as some more local cuisine options, such as mac and cheese.

2. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Total Number of Restaurants: 345

Vegetarian-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 42%

Next, we have Santa Fe, the state capital of New Mexico and widely regarded as one of the world’s great art cities. It is the second-best US destination for vegetarian eating, as 42% of its 345 restaurants on TripAdvisor are vegetarian-friendly. Ranked as the top vegetarian restaurant in Santa Fe, Geronimo is a good option, serving American and contemporary cuisines.

3. Annapolis, Maryland

Total Number of Restaurants: 232

Vegetarian-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 40%

And in third place, we have yet another state capital, Annapolis of Maryland. Of the 232 restaurants the city has on TripAdvisor, 40% of those are vegetarian-friendly. Vin 909 Winecafe ranked top for vegetarian options in Annapolis, rated 4.5 out of 5. They serve a range of American cuisine, as well as having a wine bar.

The US Destinations With The Most Vegan-Friendly Restaurants

1. Montpelier, Vermont

Total Number of Restaurants: 39

Vegan-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 38%

Coming out on top again, we have Montpelier, this time as the US destination with the highest percentage of vegan-friendly restaurants. Of the 39 restaurants it has in total on TripAdvisor, 38% of those are vegan-friendly, again offering you more eco-friendly meal options. One option is Three Penny Taproom, which offers American cuisine and is a self-described “gastropub”.

2. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Total Number of Restaurants: 345

Vegan-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 27%

Another recurrence – we have Santa Fe in second place, with 27% of its 345 total restaurants being vegan-friendly. This is a somewhat smaller figure compared to the city’s vegetarian options, but combined, you have a wealth of options. Paper Dosa is TripAdvisor’s top-ranked vegan restaurant in Santa Fe, offering a range of Indian cuisine.

3. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Total Number of Restaurants: 343

Vegan-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 20%

Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania and the ninth-largest city in the state. On TripAdvisor, the city has a total of 343 restaurants, 20% of which are vegan-friendly. The top-rated vegan-friendly restaurant for the city on TripAdvisor is The Millworks, which is described as a “brewpub” and serves American cuisine. 

3. Salem, Oregon

Total Number of Restaurants: 118

Vegan-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 20%

Also ranking third, we have Salem, which is the capital of the US state of Oregon. On TripAdvisor, the city has 118 restaurants in total, 20% of which are vegan-friendly. TripAdvisor’s top-ranked vegan restaurant for Salem is Word of Mouth, which again offers a variety of American cuisine.

3. Washington, District of Columbia

Total Number of Restaurants: 1,867

Vegan-friendly Restaurants % of Total: 20%

And the last location in our three-way tie for third place is Washington D.C., which has already ranked in the top three overall most sustainable destinations. Of the 1,867 restaurants the city has on TripAdvisor, once again, 20% of them are vegan-friendly. The Commissary, TripAdvsor’s top-rated vegan restaurant for Washington D.C.,  serves American cuisine, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

The US Destinations With The Most Sustainable Hotels

1. Concord, New Hampshire

Number of Hotels: 10

Sustainable Hotels % of Total: 90%

Coming out on top, we have Concord, the state capital of New Hampshire and the third largest city in the state. In total, they had just ten hotels, but of those, 90% were sustainable hotel options.

2. Montpelier, Vermont

Number of Hotels: 6

Sustainable Hotels % of Total: 50%

Again, we come back to Montpelier, in the state of Vermont – this time, it ranks second-highest for its percentage of sustainable hotels. Of the six total hotels the city had on Booking.com, half of them were sustainable hotel options, meaning you can rest in peace knowing you’ve made a perfectly eco-conscious choice.

3. Albany, New York

Number of Hotels: 55

Sustainable Hotels % of Total: 44%

Tied for third place, we have Albany, which is the capital city of the state of New York and lies around 135 miles north of New York City. Of the 55 total hotels that are available in the city on Booking.com, just under half of those are rated as sustainable choices. 

3. Madison, Wisconsin

Number of Hotels: 61

Sustainable Hotels % of Total: 44%

Also in third place, we have Madison, the capital city of the state of Wisconsin, as well as the state’s second-most populous city. On Booking.com, of the 61 total hotels the city had available, around 44% were rated as sustainable.

The US Destinations With The Lowest Air Pollution Levels

1. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Air Pollution Levels (Annual Average PM2.5 Concentration) 2022: 2μg/m³

In first place, we have Virginia Beach, which is an independent city on the coast of Virginia. It is also the 42nd most populous state in the US. As of 2022, the city’s reported air pollution levels are just 2μg/m³, meeting the World Health Organisation’s guideline of being below 5μg/m³.

2. Louisville, Kentucky

Air Pollution Levels (Annual Average PM2.5 Concentration) 2022: 2.8μg/m³

Louisville ties for the second spot; it is the largest city in the state of Kentucky and the 28th most populous city in the US. Again, being below the WHO recommended guideline, as of 2022, the city’s air pollution levels were just 2.8μg/m³.

2. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Air Pollution Levels (Annual Average PM2.5 Concentration) 2022: 2.8μg/m³

Once again, we have Santa Fe, and as of 2022, the city’s air pollution levels were also 2.8μg/m³, tying it for second place with Louisville.

The US Destinations With The Lowest Emissions

1. Santa Ana, California

Total Emissions (in metric tons CO2e) per 100,000 people: 8

Total Emissions (in metric tons CO2e): 25,691

Santa Ana, the county seat for Orange County in California, comes out on top for the US destination with the lowest emissions. As of 2021, the state reported 25,691 metric tons of CO2e emissions from large facilities, 8 metric tons per 100,000 of the city’s population.

2. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Total Emissions (in metric tons CO2e) per 100,000 people: 9

Total Emissions (in metric tons CO2e): 41,747

Coming in second we have Virginia Beach, having already ranked well for its air quality; it also has relatively low emissions. The state reported 41,747 metric tons of emissions in 2021, 9 metric tons per 100,000 of the city’s population.

3. Anaheim, California

Total Emissions (in metric tons CO2e) per 100,000 people: 13

Total Emissions (in metric tons CO2e): 43,656

In third place, we have another Californian city, Anaheim, the tenth most populous city in the state and home to a Disneyland Resort. For the year 2021, the city was reported to have produced 43,656 metric tons of emissions from large facilities, which, when calculated as 100,000 of the population, is 13 metric tons.

Methodology

We wanted to look at the most sustainable holiday destinations in the US, using each state capital and then the fifty most populous cities alongside the capital cities.

To begin with, we used Walk Score, taking the walk, transit, and bike scores for each city; we then ranked each city on each of the separate scores. This data was accessed on 8/03/2023.

Next, we used TripAdvisor, taking the total number of restaurants for each city and then the number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants. From there, we calculated the percentage of vegan and vegetarian restaurants against the overall number of restaurants to better normalize the results. Data is accurate as of 09/03/2023.

To look at the number of sustainable hotels for each city, we used Booking.com, taking the total number of hotels and then the number of sustainable hotels, to again calculate the number of sustainable hotels as a percentage of the total. Accurate as of 21/03/2023.

For the pollution levels, we used IQAir, taking the pollution level for each city, which is given as a PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³). Data is accurate as of 22/03/2023.

And lastly, for the emissions data, we used the EPA and their dataset on emissions produced by cities (in metric tons CO2e) in 2021 from large facilities. We then calculated the figures as per 100,000 of each city’s population to normalize the figures.