U.S. Green Building Council announces Top 10 States for Green Building in 2025

Massachusetts, Illinois top the list as life sciences, data centers, and advanced manufacturing fuel growth of LEED adoption

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced the Top 10 States for LEED in 2025, recognizing the U.S. states with the most LEED-certified commercial space per capita in the last year. With the U.S. remaining the world's leading market for LEED certification, the annual ranking highlights the public and private sector leaders advancing healthier, more resilient buildings and communities through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the world's most widely used green building rating system.

For the second consecutive year, Massachusetts held onto the top spot while Illinois remained in second place in the annual ranking. Colorado climbed six spots to third place while Georgia cracked into the Top 10 States for LEED for the first time since 2023.

In 2025, LEED adoption continued to accelerate nationwide, with thousands of projects designed, built, and operated to save energy, reduce waste and improve occupant health. While office buildings and higher education projects remain strong sectors in LEED adoption, innovation-focused sectors—life sciences, data centers, and advanced manufacturing—are fueling notable growth in several top states. Additionally, recertifications are helping raise performance in existing buildings, signaling a market-wide commitment to continuous improvement and high performance in the built environment.

"LEED is helping states accelerate and scale their approaches to lower carbon, healthier spaces, and smarter operations across every sector of the economy," said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. "This year's Top 10 States demonstrate how innovation and performance come together to deliver measurable results. Their leadership shows that high-performing buildings are not the exception—they are the expectation."

Innovation-led sectors are expanding their LEED footprints, reflecting broader shifts in the U.S. economy. Data center growth is particularly strong in Virginia and California, where owners are prioritizing energy efficiency, grid readiness, and operational resilience. In Virginia, the continued expansion of digital infrastructure demonstrates how LEED can help optimize energy-intensive facilities. These trends point to a market where high-performance design and operations are now fundamental to delivering reliable, resilient facilities.

U.S. LEED adoption among office buildings remains strong, driven by owners investing in healthier, more efficient spaces that support productivity and employee well-being. A growing share of activity is focused on recertification and performance upgrades. Across states such as New York, Illinois and Georgia, owners are leveraging LEED to modernize existing buildings, validate performance for tenants, and demonstrate measurable progress toward corporate and environmental commitments.

High-performance building is also widening in scope, reaching large-scale projects such as airports and sports and entertainment venues. Prominent projects such as the Las Vegas Convention Center and Soldier Field in Chicago illustrate how major event destinations can advance energy, water, and waste performance while maintaining world-class visitor experiences.

Across the country, the U.S. saw several LEED v5 early adopter certifications. These projects demonstrate deeper carbon reductions, grid-interactive efficiency, and enhanced human health. LEED v5 provides a practical, outcomes-focused framework. Among the LEED v5 early adopter projects, the Empire State Building's LEED v5 Platinum milestone anchors this shift and signals how iconic buildings can lead the way—pairing decarbonization strategies with strong indoor environmental quality and performance verification.

"The Empire State Building is the first in New York to achieve LEED v5 Platinum certification. This is an award that is recognized and respected by tenants and aligns with Empire State Realty Trust's goal to stand out in our pursuit of environmental leadership with operational excellence, healthy spaces, and long-term value for our stakeholders," said Dana Robbins Schneider, SVP, director of energy and sustainability at Empire State Realty Trust. 

The Top 10 States for LEED are ranked based on newly certified space in 2025. While not officially part of the rankings, the District of Columbia is also recognized for its nation-leading concentration of LEED-certified space. The 2025 Top 10 States for LEED rankings are as follows:

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) accelerates and scales the transformation of the built environment to minimize climate impacts and enhance the well-being of people, the environment, and communities worldwide. USGBC leads market transformation through LEED and other green building certification and enablement programs, robust educational offerings, an international network of industry leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram,  Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

SOURCE U.S. Green Building Council