Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. News and World Reports compiled a list using data from 2021, revealing which states have the most and worst pollution. The states ranking worst for pollution may surprise you, given some of the nation's most populated states — such as New York and California — don’t even rank in the top ten.
Data: The report evaluates states based on total toxic chemical pollution per square mile of land per state. The research ranks the state based on how dangerous the pollution is to the people in the states, taking into account pollution-related illnesses. However, the report did not take into account pollution that comes from agriculture, transportation and small facilities, such as autobody shops or dry cleaners.
Rankings: Here is a list of all 50 states ranked from most polluted to least, according to U.S. News and World Reports.
50. Louisiana.
49. Nevada.
48. Indiana.
47. Delaware.
46. Utah.
45. Ohio.
44. Oregon.
43. Tennessee.
42. Illinois.
41. Alabama.
40. Texas.
39. Pennsylvania.
38. New Jersey.
37. West Virginia.
36. Arkansas.
35. Kentucky.
34. Michigan.
33. South Carolina.
32. Virginia.
31. North Carolina.
30. Connecticut.
29. Alaska.
28. Mississippi.
27. Florida.
26. Georgia.
25. Iowa.
24. Missouri.
23. Kansas.
22. Oklahoma.
21. Arizona.
20. Wisconsin.
19. North Dakota.
18. Washington.
17. Massachusetts.
16. Maryland.
15. Montana.
14. Minnesota.
13. Hawaii.
12. Nebraska.
11. New York.
10. Idaho.
9. Colorado.
8. Maine.
7. Rhode Island.
6. California.
5. Wyoming.
4. New Mexico.
3. South Dakota.
2. New Hampshire.
1. Vermont.