List of dirtiest cities in the US: New Jersey outranks NYC

Study: Dirtiest cities in America

For a city that's declared a war on rats, surprisingly New York does not top the list that no one wants to be on.

NEW YORK - For a city that's declared a war on rats and trash, surprisingly, New York City did not make top ten on the list of dirties cities in the U.S.

New Jersey, however, had two cities that ranked within the top ten.

The 2023 report compared over 150 of the biggest U.S. cities across four categories, including pollution, living conditions, infrastructure, and consumer satisfaction.

| Top ten list |

NYC opens new chapter in its war on rats

There are new concerns over a spike in cases of leptospirosis, a disease largely associated with rat urine. Mayor Eric Adams spoke out about the recent number of cases reported.

Houston, Texas ranked number one on the list due to petrochemical facilities polluting the air and the city's high greenhouse gas emissions (LawnStarter). The report also noted Houston's cockroach issue.

New York City came in 12th despite it's rat and trash problem.

Both Newark (#2) , and Jersey City (#5), ranked in the top ten.

Top 10 dirtiest cities

Houston, TX
Newark, NJ
San Bernardino, CA
Detroit, MI
Jersey City, NJ
Bakersfield, CA
San Antonio, TX
Fresno, CA
Oklahoma City, OK
Yonkers, NY

Trash piling up across NYC

Budget cuts to the Department of Sanitation means trash is beginning to pile up across New York City as there are less cans and pickups. FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green has the story.

Newark, Houston, and NYC had that same ranking as the year prior.

See the full report for more cities.