A program of the U.S. Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification has become a key metric for tracking sustainable construction. While larger cities have the most green buildings by virtue of scale, some smaller municipalities have focused efforts on sustainable development in recent years, resulting in high per capita rates of LEED-certified buildings.
Cities leading in per capita certification tend to have strong municipal sustainability mandates, active architectural firms focused on green design, or state-level incentives for energy-efficient construction. Some have benefitted from university-led pilot programs or redevelopment of former industrial land into LEED-certified facilities.
Many are in the Phoenix, Dallas, Austin, or Washington, D.C. metro areas, while some are more remote. Of the 25 cities with the most LEED buildings per capita, 15 are in the South, and six are in the West. Just three are in the Midwest, and only two — Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Princeton, New Jersey — are in the Northeast. Many of the cities with the most LEED buildings per capita also have above-average incomes and educational attainment. A closer look at the data reveals the cities leading the green building revolution.
To determine the cities leading the green building revolution, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data from the U.S. Green Building Council. Cities were ranked based on the number of LEED-certified commercial and institutional buildings per 100,000 residents as of July 2025. Supplemental data on population and and median household income are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. Only cities with at least 300 LEED-certified buildings were considered.
- LEED-registered building concentration: 52.2 per 10,000 housing units (622 total)
- Median household income: $140,160
- Total population: 235,463
- Newest LEED registrations: Alexan Courthouse (registered May 20, 2025), Commerical Vehicle Inspection Facility (registered April 14, 2025), 2500 Wilson (registered March 7, 2025), Crystal House 3 (registered August 16, 2024), Metro Entrance Pedestrian Access Control (registered June 26, 2024), Citibank Clarendon (registered May 30, 2024), Riverhouse South Multifamily (registered April 11, 2024), Riverhouse South 1 (registered March 1, 2024), Riverhouse South 2 (registered March 1, 2024), Riverhouse South 3 (registered March 1, 2024)
- LEED-registered building concentration: 66.7 per 10,000 housing units (535 total)
- Median household income: $113,638
- Total population: 156,788
- Newest LEED registrations: 101 Duke St Townhomes (registered April 28, 2025), 101 Duke St Townhomes (registered April 28, 2025), 101 Duke St Townhomes (registered April 28, 2025), 101 Duke St Townhomes (registered April 28, 2025), 101 Duke St Townhomes (registered April 28, 2025), 101 Duke St Townhomes (registered April 28, 2025), JPMC Retail VA-7378-IN (registered March 3, 2025), Alexandria Hospital + Cancer Center (registered February 4, 2025), Alexandria Health Center (registered February 4, 2025), 1201 E Abingdon Dr (registered November 21, 2024)
- LEED-registered building concentration: 87.2 per 10,000 housing units (3,054 total)
- Median household income: $106,287
- Total population: 672,079
- Newest LEED registrations: Mitchell Residence Hall – Renovation (registered April 21, 2025), Madison Shelter Renovation (registered April 15, 2025), DC Stabilization Center (registered April 7, 2025), BNY Washington DC (registered March 27, 2025), 1201 Connecticut Avenue NW (registered March 13, 2025), William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center (registered March 11, 2025), JPMC Retail DC-0802-IN (registered March 3, 2025), 725 12th Street (registered March 3, 2025), 1200 18th Street NW (registered February 25, 2025), 2715 Pennsylvania Ave (registered February 24, 2025)
- LEED-registered building concentration: 162.8 per 10,000 housing units (479 total)
- Median household income: $191,348
- Total population: 67,403
- Newest LEED registrations: Citibank Bethesda Row (registered July 8, 2024), The Children’s Inn at NIH Expansion (registered August 9, 2023), The Children’s Inn at NIH Renovation (registered August 9, 2023), AGNC (registered September 14, 2022), Battery Lane, Site C (registered July 15, 2022), Westbard Square Shopping Center (registered January 27, 2022), 4725 Cheltenham Drive (registered January 25, 2022), 3 Bethesda Metro Center (registered November 3, 2021), Auburn Avenue Apts. (registered April 19, 2021), US Navy WRNMMC Building C 80906 Med Cntr (registered April 1, 2021)
- LEED-registered building concentration: 362.8 per 10,000 housing units (782 total)
- Median household income: $130,627
- Total population: 58,041
- Newest LEED registrations: Arundel Self Storage (registered December 20, 2023), Hanover Logistics (registered December 6, 2023), West County Swim Center (registered December 7, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022), Delacour at Blue Stream (registered September 6, 2022)
- LEED-registered building concentration: 710.8 per 10,000 housing units (418 total)
- Median household income: $123,587
- Total population: 18,976
- Newest LEED registrations: Nidel Residence V4 (registered February 14, 2018), SGS MF D (registered November 28, 2017), Momentum at Shady Grove Metro (registered November 21, 2017), West Side Shady Grove – Building A (registered May 13, 2015), Shady Grove West Side — D (registered September 16, 2014), Shady Grove West Side — D (registered September 16, 2014), Shady Grove West Side — D (registered September 16, 2014), Shady Grove West Side — D (registered September 16, 2014), Shady Grove West Side — D (registered September 16, 2014), Shady Grove West Side — D (registered September 16, 2014)
