California Rules Roost on Sustainability.

• Position: ECOLOGICAL CITIES

Fewer cars and more walking, less coal power and more wind turbines and solar panels, and fewer cows and more Impossible Burgers--the most sustainable cities in the U.S. are leading the way in efforts to save the planet.

LawnStarter ranked 2021 's most sustainable cities by comparing the 200 largest U.S. metropolises across 24 key sustainability indicators. Among the factors considered are the number of incentives and policies supporting renewables and energy efficiency; amount of zero-energy buildings; share of workers who use green commuting methods; and prevalence of community-supported agriculture.

The top 10, starting at No. 1, are San Francisco, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; Sacramento, Calif.; Washington, DC; Baltimore, Md.; Rochester, N.Y.; San Diego, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Seattle, Wash.

As for the 10 least sustainable cities, they are, from the bottom up: Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Miramar, Fla.; Peoria, Ariz.; Cape Coral, Fla.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Enterprise, Nev.; Metairie, La.; Sunrise Manor, Nev.; Hialeah, Fla.; and Pasadena, Texas.

It is easy to see why California cities are trailblazers in sustainability: the state was first to propose banning sales of gas-powered cars and construct the U.S.'s first high-speed rail line, while a years-long drought has forced California to reimagine water management in a far more sustainable way. While other states are making incremental changes, California is implementing sweeping reforms.

A striking trend in the study: larger cities often are greener than smaller ones. The most-populated city in the country (New York) ranks at a...