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Illinois topped the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) annual list of Top 10 States for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
The list ranks states based on the number of LEED-certified square feet per person. The Top 10 states for LEED are home to 128 million Americans and together include more than 43 million m2 (468 million sf) of LEED-certified space.
“These Top 10 states are examples of how we can create lasting, measurable change and improve the quality of life for everyone in our communities. A better future requires a universal living standard that leaves no one behind—and that future would simply not be possible without the extraordinary work being done in these states,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, CEO of USGBC.
As the number one state for LEED certification in 2018, Illinois certified 172 green building projects representing 1/2 m2 (5.31 sf) of LEED-certified space per resident. This is the first time Illinois has taken the top spot since 2015.
Washington and Texas also made triumphant returns to the Top 10 securing the highest rankings in each states’ history. Additionally, Colorado made notable strides in its LEED activity moving from number 10 in 2017 to number six on this year’s list. Washington, D.C. is not ranked as it is a federal district and not a state.
The Top 10 list is based on 2010 Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects certified throughout 2018. The full rankings are as follows:
| Rank | State | Certified Gross Square Footage (GSF) | GSF Per Capita | Number of Projects Certified |
| 1 | Illinois | 68,133,942 | 5.31 | 172 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 34,718,212 | 5.30 | 122 |
| 3 | Washington | 28,555,753 | 4.25 | 137 |
| 4 | New York | 72,881,287 | 3.76 | 214 |
| 5 | Texas | 88,404,993 | 3.52 | 277 |
| 6 | Colorado | 17,042,295 | 3.39 | 114 |
| 7 | Hawaii | 4,504,287 | 3.31 | 20 |
| 8 | Virginia | 25,348,631 | 3.17 | 136 |
| 9 | California | 112,388,968 | 3.02 | 521 |
| 10 | Maryland | 16,869,680 | 2.92 | 113 |
