Arlington has ranked among the 15 most “eco-forward cities and towns” in the nation.
Specifically, Arlington is No. 5, behind No. 1 Somerville, Mass. and No. 3 Jersey City, N.J. (The latter being, arguably, Arlington’s New York metro area doppelgänger and long-time rival in various rankings.)
The list was compiled by Opendoor, the online home-buying company that you might receive frequent solicitous letters from if you own a house in Arlington. The company’s methodology looked at factors like bicycle parking, bicycle rentals, bicycle shops, electric vehicle charging, recycling, transit, second hand shops and the local government’s sustainability efforts.
How's the County been doing on climate progress? Take a look. https://t.co/UmySmccpCE pic.twitter.com/1Oo50efdqT
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) April 11, 2023
“The cities and towns on our list, like Arlington, are putting a concerted effort into making eco-minded practices and solutions the norm, and specifically, Arlington is the first LEED Platinum certified community and is recognized as a leader in creating a sustainable environment,” Jennifer Patchen, a real estate broker for Opendoor, said in a statement. “Arlington has a long-proven success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and home buyers looking to plant roots in a ‘green’ community should consider Arlington.”
An Opendoor PR rep also noted: “78% of U.S. consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them and that they’re prioritizing eco-conscious details and design in their home.”
The full list is below.
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Somerville, MA
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Emeryville, CA
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Jersey City, NJ
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Boulder, CO
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Arlington, VA
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Portland, OR
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West Hempstead, NY
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Carrboro, NC
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Salt Lake City, UT
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Santa Monica, CA
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Temple Terrace, FL
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Fort Collins, CO
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Dearborn, MI
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Phoenix, AZ
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San Diego, CA
In addition to homeowners, Arlington’s eco bonafides have been a draw for employers.
In 2018, prior to Amazon’s HQ2 announcement, we famously reported that an internal Amazon webpage was sending thousands of views to an ARLnow article headlined “County Wins Top Environmental Award from U.S. Green Building Council.”