Two New Jersey Cities Rank Among America's Dirtiest

If you had to rank the dirtiest city in America, which city would you say is number 1?

For a while over the summer, I would have said Philadelphia, easy. Only because they had that garbage strike resulting in mountains of garbage spilling into the streets during a heat wave.

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Yuck!

Philly Isn't As Bad As It Seems

However, as someone who grew up right outside of Philadelphia, I can assure you Philly is no more or less dirty than any other major city in the United States.

San Bernardino Tops the List for 2025

Believe it or not, the dirtiest city in America is in California, according to a recent survey by Lawn Star.

Specifically, San Bernardino.

They hold the award, if you can call it that, for 2025's dirtiest city of the year, and a lot of it has to do with air quality more than anything else.

Two New Jersey Cities Rank in the Top 10

What's a little disappointing is that out of the 303 cities that were ranked among the dirtiest in America, 2 of the top ten dirtiest cities in the country are right here in Jersey.

But we're the Garden State, what happened?

Well, just because we're a state known for our lush natural forests and beautiful beaches doesn't mean we're without our faults.

Jersey City and Newark Make the List

Photo by Michael Moloney on Unsplash

Both Jersey City and Newark ranked in the top 10 dirtiest cities in the country, with Jersey City coming in at #8 and Newark coming in at #6.

The reason for these scores has to do with infrastructure, pollution, and general residential dissatisfaction of the city.

Take These Rankings With a Grain of Salt

When it comes to these types of surveys, though, you have to look at everything circumstantially.

First off, what major city doesn't have some issue with infrastructure or pollution?

Secondly, both Jersey City and Newark have a lot to boast about on their own; for example, Jersey City has Liberty State Park, the Empty Sky Memorial, and Liberty Landing. All of which are beautiful attractions.

Even Newark is known for its diverse culture, good food, and, sure, there's one stretch of Newark coming out of Newark International that's an eyesore, but it's also a major highway.

Speaking of highways, these are some of the worst roads in Jersey.