Popular Southern City Tops List of Dirtiest in the Nation

A recent survey named Houston, Texas, the dirtiest city in the U.S. It took the top spot from last year's dirtiest, Newark, New Jersey.

The study by LawnStarter compared 152 U.S. cities. Categories included pollution, living conditions, infrastructure, and customer satisfaction.

Houston, known as Space City, ranked third in pollution. It trailed only San Bernardino, Calif., and Peoria, Ariz. Another study cited says Houston’s petrochemical facilities violate EPA safety guidelines.

LawnStarter data shows Houston is third worst in greenhouse gas emissions. The city also has the biggest cockroach problem.

A spokesperson for Houston's Solid Waste Management Department did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Newark, last year's dirtiest city, dropped to number two.

The top 10 dirtiest cities also include San Bernardino, Detroit, Jersey City, Bakersfield, San Antonio, Fresno, Oklahoma City, and Yonkers. New York City ranked 12th.

Why does this matter? LawnStarter says dirty cities affect more than just appearance. Health issues like lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke can stem from air pollution.

"Dirty cities aren’t just an eyesore — they also damage our bodies and our wallets," says LawnStarter.

LawnStarter connects lawn care providers to customers via its website and app. They used the survey to attract new business.

"Clean cities tend to have lots of tidy, healthy, green lawns," they said.