How Clean is Denver, Colorado? The Answer Might Surprise You

The debate over whether Colorado's capital city is clean or not seems to be a polarizing topic. You ask one person if Denver is a clean city, and they will say yes. Ask another person, and they will say Denver used to be a nice, clean city, but now it is a trash pit. So, who are we to believe?

Of course, you can always take the position of how it used to be or how it is now. However, it would be easier to just compare and contrast with other cities in the United States.

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I've always thought the Denver Metro Area was nice. I did grow up there, after all. I have also been to many other large cities in the United States and have seen some things. When comparing Denver to some other cities, it is not as bad as some make it out to be.

Where Does Denver Really Rank in Cleanliness?

Oxi Fresh put out a list of the cleanest cities in the United States, and as you can imagine, Denver made the list. Was Denver, Colorado, a clean city, or was it one of the dirtiest?

READ MORE: These 14 Colorado Counties Received an 'F' Grade for Air Quality

Oxi Fresh used numerous key factors when it came to ranking cleanliness in metro cities across the nation. Those factors include population density, rodents, cockroaches, vandalism, litter, air quality, and tap water quality.

Out of the 35 cities on the list, Denver ranked eighth with a grade of "B" from Oxi Fresh. The Denver Metro Area was calculated at 8,345 square miles and a population of three million.

READ MORE: Denver, Colorado Ranked the Prettiest City in the USA

Oxi Fresh gave the title of the cleanest city in the United States to Portland, Oregon. I could see this when it comes to factors such as population density and air quality. However, downtown Portland saw its fair share of vandalism and litter when I was there last.

Other cities that ranked cleaner than Denver included Richmond, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Detroit, Michigan, Rochester, New York, and Seattle, Washington. See the full list of the cleanest cities in the United States at oxifresh.com.