New York - (Saba):
Despite New York City's reputation for its insect population, trash-filled streets, and strange odors, a study has revealed that it did not rank among the top 10 dirtiest cities in the United States.
In a study published by HouseFresh, a platform specializing in indoor air quality, and reported by the New York Post, researchers analyzed 12.3 million cleanliness-related reports received by 311 emergency services in several American cities, with the aim of identifying those cities most in need of health improvement.
The study stated: "We ranked cities according to the number of cleanliness-related reports per 100,000 residents."
Baltimore ranked first as the "dirtiest city" in the United States, with an extremely high rate of 47,295 reports per 100,000 residents. This, according to the researchers, indicates "a clear gap between the needs of residents and the reality of the city's cleanliness." They added that "six of the dirtiest zip codes are all located within or near the city center."
New York City, meanwhile, had a "surprisingly low" complaint rate of 3,728 reports per 100,000 residents, compared to Los Angeles' 21,616, despite its glamorous appearance.
New York City ranked 17th among the 23 dirtiest American cities.
However, despite this ranking, which represents an improvement over its ranking as the second dirtiest city in the world according to the 2022 survey, one of its neighborhoods still needs a lot of attention.
The data showed that the highest complaint rate in the city came from Brooklyn, with a record 7,664 reports. Researchers explained that this neighborhood, whose population has increased by 6.8% since 2020 to more than 2.5 million, attracts a large number of tourists annually, which explains the deterioration in cleanliness due to increased human pressure.
In contrast, the data showed that the 11040 code in the New Hyde Park neighborhood on Long Island is the cleanest in the "tri-state" region (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut).
Second after Baltimore is Sacramento, California. The state capital is home to its largest river, the California River, which is among the most polluted in the country, according to a recent report by the Environmental Integrity Project.
However, a representative for the City of Sacramento explained to HouseFresh that the city encourages residents to call 311 to report any service requests, such as starting garbage collection or reporting a damaged container, which may explain the increase in reports there.
Meanwhile, last summer, the New York City Department of Sanitation launched a new campaign calling on residents to report their most derelict neighbors. A digital "Hall of Shame" was created to display the names and belongings of prominent offenders.
Former Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the hall would serve as a space to "shame and shame those who endanger the surrounding community by allowing filth to accumulate." She added, "Some of the derelict have gone too far... but now, the era of trash clutter is over."
The cleanest city in the nation, according to the study, is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which recorded only 309 reports related to littering, despite being the state's most populous city.
The following is a list of the dirtiest American cities, based on the number of litter reports per 100,000 residents:
Baltimore, Maryland - 47,295
Sacramento, California - 34,186
Charlotte, North Carolina – 31,112.
Los Angeles, California – 21,616.
Memphis, Tennessee – 17,408.
Boston, Massachusetts – 10,252.
San Antonio, Texas – 8,929.
Kansas City – 8,874.
Buffalo, New York – 8,509.
Dallas, Texas – 8,382.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – 7,854.
Nashville, Tennessee – 7,703.
Chicago, Illinois – 7,376.
Houston, Texas – 6,275.
Oakland, California – 6,139.
New Orleans, Louisiana – 5,295.
New York, New York – 3,728.
Miami, Florida – 3,284.
San Francisco, California – 2,411.
Austin, Texas – 2,245.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 2,144.
Riverside, California – 1,609.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 309.
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