The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual ranking of U.S. states leading the way on green building, with Massachusetts topping the list. The USGBC ranking is based on LEED-certified gross square footage per capita over the past year. The LEED rating system is the world’s most widely used green building program and was created by USGBC as a leadership standard defining best practices for healthy, high-performing green buildings.
“It was a strong year for LEED certifications across the U.S. as companies and governments embrace LEED as a tool for meeting ESG goals and organizational commitments to climate action, occupant wellbeing and resource efficiency,” said Peter Templeton, USGBC president and CEO. “LEED buildings are environmentally friendly, cutting their emissions and waste, and use less energy and water. At the same time, they also help reduce operational and maintenance costs, contributing to the bottom line.”
The states following Massachusetts—where 96 buildings encompassing over 26 million square feet were LEED-certified in 2022, equating to nearly 3.7 LEED-certified square feet per resident—were Illinois (3.47 square feet per capita), New York (3.17 square feet per capita), California (2.43 square feet per capita), and Maryland (2.39 square feet per capita).
As a federal territory, Washington, D.C., does not appear in the official top 10 list of states, but it consistently leads the nation in LEED-certified square footage per capita, in part because of the federal government and District’s ongoing commitments to green building. In 2022, the nation’s capital certified over 46 square feet of space per resident across 115 green building projects.
Here are the top 10 U.S. states for green building in 2022
Rank |
State |
Projects |
Gross area (SqFt) |
2022 GSF Per Capita |
* |
District of Columbia |
115 |
31,759,516 |
46.06 |
1 |
Massachusetts |
96 |
26,442,008 |
3.76 |
2 |
Illinois |
91 |
44,577,321 |
3.48 |
3 |
New York |
142 |
64,042,120 |
3.17 |
4 |
California |
386 |
96,457,139 |
2.44 |
5 |
Maryland |
80 |
14,769,661 |
2.39 |
6 |
Georgia |
66 |
24,068,422 |
2.25 |
7 |
Colorado |
59 |
12,532,909 |
2.17 |
8 |
Virginia |
95 |
16,289,394 |
1.89 |
9 |
Texas |
174 |
48,717,532 |
1.67 |
10 |
Oregon |
36 |
6,066,035 |
1.43 |
In 2022, the top 10 states certified 1,225 projects and nearly 353 million gross square feet under LEED.
Since it was first established in 2000, LEED’s metrics-based system has set the standard for healthy, resilient, green buildings. In 2022, USGBC surpassed 100,000 LEED-certified projects globally, totaling more than 11 billion certified gross square feet.
Additional information on the 2022 rankings, along with a listing of notable projects, can be found on our Top 10 States for LEED page.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 29, 2015
Elevator shafts a major source of heat loss in New York City
A typical New York apartment building loses thousands of dollars worth of energy every year from leaky elevator shafts that vent warm air at the top of the building and draw in cold air at the bottom, according to a new Urban Green Council report.
Green | Mar 29, 2015
Passive House Institute launches ‘cost-effective’ passive building standard
The group says the building energy performance target is in the “sweet spot” where cost effectiveness overlaps with aggressive energy and carbon reduction.
Sponsored | Walls and Partitions | Mar 25, 2015
Metl-Span systems meet design needs in cost effective manner
The goal from the beginning was to construct an energy efficient building with insulated metal panels.
Green | Mar 25, 2015
WELL Building Standard introduced in China
The WELL Building Standard is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features that impact human health and wellbeing, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.
Higher Education | Mar 23, 2015
Hong Kong university building will feature bioclimatic façade
The project's twin-tower design opens the campus up to the neighboring public green space, while maximizing the use of summer winds for natural ventilation.
Green | Mar 22, 2015
6 myths holding back green building
Sustainable design has proven benefits, so why isn’t it more widely adopted?
Green | Mar 18, 2015
Vertical urban greenhouses will feed import-reliant Jackson Hole, Wyo.
A Jackson Hole, Wyo., start up aims to reduce the city’s susceptibility to food deficits by building vertical greenhouses.
Sponsored | Energy Efficiency | Mar 16, 2015
California cuts its carbon footprint with solar
Spanning four locations in Central Valley, the California Renewable Energy Small Tariff projects pack a lot of power and are prime examples of the real-life benefits of going solar.
Codes and Standards | Mar 12, 2015
Energy Trust of Oregon offers financial incentives for net-zero buildings
The organization is offering technical assistance along with financial benefits.
Codes and Standards | Mar 5, 2015
AEC industry groups look to harmonize green building standards, codes
The USGBC, ASHRAE, ICC, IES, and AIA are collaborating on a single green code.