The Least- and Most-Polluted Housing Markets Are …

Another week and another Top 10 housing market list. This time, Realtor.com is offering its choices for the 10 least polluted and most polluted metro areas.

 

For this number crunch, Realtor.com analyzed the 150 largest metros based on the level of toxic chemicals released from factories, greenhouse gas emissions per square mile, the number of Superfund sites per square mile, air quality as measured by the number of clear days in a year and water quality as measured by contaminants like lead, copper, arsenic and nitrate. The result found Naples, Fla., as the nation’s least polluted housing market, due to its well-preserved ecosystem—Realtor.com noted the city was surrounded natural reserves including the Everglades—and absence of industrial pollution.

 

Also on the Top 10 least polluted housing markets list was Salem, Oreg.; Ocala, Fla.; Anchorage, Alaska; Santa Rosa, Calif.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Eugene, Ore.; Little Rock, Ark.; Salisbury, Md.; and Salinas, Calif.

 

On the other hand, Philadelphia took the sorry spot as the most polluted housing market. Realtor.com noted an EPA report that found 13.4 million pounds of poisonous chemicals were released by local oil refineries, shipyards and auto manufacturers in 2015, adding that a University of Pennsylvania study found nearly half of Philadelphia children living in poverty have asthma.
Other markets on this sooty list include Los Angeles; Houston; New York City; Chicago; New Orleans; Reading, Pa.; Salt Lake City; Baton Rouge, La.; and Milwaukee.