Yet another environmental poll has been released showing Oklahoma ranks in the lower range of states when it comes to environmental protection in 2026.
SmileHub is a nonprofit tech company that uses data to rate charities, and provides resources that make it easy for donors to find more information. It released a report of Best Charities for Environmental Protection and the Best States for Environmental Protection in 2026.
Oklahoma was ranked 38 on the Best States for Environmental Protection. The ranking was based on three categories, and the state was ranked 29 for Environmental Protection, 40 for Energy Consumption and Water Disposal and 41 in Environmental Pollution.
Key Stats
- California has the highest number of environmental protection charities per capita – 9.9 times higher than Oklahoma, which has the lowest number.
- New York has the highest share of workers that use green transportation – 3 times higher than Mississippi, which has the lowest share.
- South Dakota has the highest share of renewable energy consumption – 27 times higher than Alaska, which has the lowest share
SmileHub’s survey claimed nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the quality of the environment in the U.S. is getting worse, according to the latest Gallup data. Additionally, 63% believe the government is not doing enough to protect it. Environmental challenges affect communities across the country, but some states work harder than others to reduce pollution, conserve resources and promote sustainability.
To highlight states that understand nature’s importance and the ones that need to improve, SmileHub compared the 50 states across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of environmental charities per capita to the share of renewable energy consumption to energy efficiency score.
SmileHub compared the eco-friendliness of all 50 states across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of environmental charities per capita to the share of renewable energy consumption to energy efficiency score.
Best States |
Worst States |
|
| 1. California | 41. Kansas | |
| 2. Washington | 42. Alaska | |
| 3. New York | 43. Iowa | |
| 4. Vermont | 44. Kentucky | |
| 5. Hawaii | 45. North Dakota | |
| 6. Maryland | 46. Wyoming | |
| 7. Massachusetts | 47. Alabama | |
| 8. New Jersey | 48. Mississippi | |
| 9. Virginia | 49. West Virginia | |
| 10. Oregon | 50. Louisiana | |
To view the full report and your state’s rank, visit:
https://smilehub.org/blog/best-states-for-environmental-protection/123
