USGBC: California and Texas Are Leaders in American Green Home Sales

A new report from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) puts the 50 states in their proper pecking order for most green friendly homes with LEED certification. LEED certification, backed by the USGBC, stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The certification system uses five different grading rubrics to judge the eco-friendliness of interior design, exterior design, building operations and maintenance, homes, and neighborhood development. According to the new study, California leads the way with a certification score of 9,186, with Texas bringing up a close second at 8,476.

Despite General Market Decline, Luxury and Custom Homes Show Strong Growth
Custom homes, particularly in the luxury market, have been on the rise as Americans with a little extra to spend look to have the homes of their dreams built. That’s why, despite an overall decrease in the number of housing starts in the general market, luxury home sales in the United States have spiked by 21.1% since January 1, 2014. One of the biggest drivers of the push toward custom home builders? The green movement.

Consider, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, going green in home design and construction means reducing waste, protecting nature, and gaining a slew of other environmental benefits. Financially, custom green homes allow homeowners to save on energy bills, while simultaneously reducing exposure to dangerous synthetic building materials that can cause considerable health problems. What the EPA and the USGBC fail to mention in their findings is that states like California and Texas, with Silicon Valley and Big Oil, respectively, have populations with more liquid capital that they can spend on the growing green homes market. Until the cost of green construction comes down, it’s unlikely that places like North Dakota or Utah are going to be trying too hard to play catch up anytime soon.

Did you look to custom home builders to build your green dream home? Let us know what green features you had custom built in the comments below.