New York City, a bustling metropolis known for its vibrant culture and iconic landmarks, is grappling with significant sanitation issues, particularly a notorious rat problem that has attracted the attention of experts.
Despite these challenges, the city has surprisingly earned the title of the 17th happiest city in the world according to the 2025 Happy City Index, making it the only American city to feature in the top 20.
However, this happiness rating seems puzzling when juxtaposed with complaints about high living costs, noise pollution, and cleanliness issues.
A study conducted by Oxi Fresh has identified the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area as the dirtiest region in the United States.
Published in April 2025, this study evaluated metropolitan areas based on a grading system from A+ to D using seven factors: population density, presence of rodents, cockroaches, vandalism, litter, air quality, and quality of tap water.
With a score of D, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area received the lowest cleanliness rating in the country.
The study highlighted New York City’s rampant rat infestation and inefficient waste management as primary causes for the poor standing.
According to a feature in The New York Times, “In New York City, trash has no dedicated space all its own,” with garbage bags often lining the streets as they await collection, many of which go unretrieved.
While New York City struggles with these issues, neighboring cities such as Newark and Jersey City have their own cleanliness challenges, including trash congestion and industrial pollution.
Previously, these cities ranked higher in the 2023 dirtiest cities list, with Newark and Jersey City coming in second and fifth, respectively, based on similar metrics of cleanliness and resident feedback.
In a surprising twist, despite being labeled the dirtiest city in America, New York City maintains a relatively high happiness index, reflecting its strong economic performance, mobility, and innovative spirit.
In stark contrast to New York City, the study noted that the cleanest metropolitan area in America is the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro region in Oregon and Washington, achieving an impressive A+ grade.
The cleanliness of these areas is attributed to decades of investment in comprehensive recycling and composting initiatives that effectively reduce landfill waste and maintain cleaner streets.
As for the detailed findings of Oxi Fresh’s study, the following highlights paint a picture of the cleanliness issue confronting the New York-Newark-Jersey City area:
– **Rodents:** Approximately 17% of housing units reported signs of rodent infestation over the past 12 months.
– **Cockroaches:** 20.1% of housing units experienced signs of cockroach presence during the same timeframe.
– **Vandalism:** In contrast, 90.6% of homes reported no vandalism within a half-block radius.
– **Litter:** 81.8% of homes were free from litter, trash, or junk in their nearby streets or properties.
– **Air Quality:** In 2024, the region recorded 165 days with ‘Good’ Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings, a score between 0 to 50.
– **Tap Water Quality:** An average of 10.5 different contaminants was reported in the drinking water, based on Environmental Working Group (EWG) health guidelines.
Overall, the cleanliness score for the New York-Newark-Jersey City area was calculated to be 337.7, corresponding to the grade of D.
The staggering population of New York City, the most densely populated urban area in the U.S., plays a significant role in its cleanliness woes.
High population density contributes critically to waste management challenges, pollution levels, and the maintenance of public spaces.
This issue is further compounded by increasing homelessness, with NYC’s rate being 8 per 1,000 residents in 2024—a 5.31% rise from the previous year.
New Jersey also reports a steady increase in its unsheltered population, with homeless counts significantly rising—Newark recorded the highest number at 2,089, closely followed by Jersey City with 534 individuals.
Oxi Fresh’s analysis serves as a lens into the stark discrepancies regarding culture, infrastructure, and living conditions in some of the dirtiest cities in the U.S.
While New York-Newark-Jersey City continues to confront significant challenges regarding cleanliness, the path to improvement will necessitate collaborative efforts among government entities, private organizations, residents, and even tourists.
As the city aims for a cleaner future while maintaining its unique charm and character, the responsibility for fostering change rests within the hands of the entire community.
image source from：https://www.thetravel.com/americas-dirtiest-city-is-also-happiest/
