Rhode Island ranks among the best in the country for its natural environment. Here's why.

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island may only have a middling ranking overall on U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best States list, but the Ocean State is among the top scorers for environmental quality.

Rhode Island ranked third in the nation for natural environment behind only Hawaii in first place and Minnesota in second.

What went into the ranking?

The ranking is based exclusively on pollution levels measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Rhode Island did so well because it had less than half the annual days with unhealthy air quality than the national average, as well as a lower rate for drinking water violations and a fraction of the toxic chemical pollution generated per square mile.

The findings are consistent with what others have found. While Washington County ranks high in New England for smog pollution – almost exclusively from out-of-state sources – ozone levels are much lower than the most polluted counties in America.

As for particle pollution which, like ozone, is connected to gas-powered vehicles, most of Rhode Island has low levels.

And while there are concerns about toxins from fossil fuel activities, asphalt manufacturing and chemical storage around the Port of Providence, industrial development in other parts of the state is relatively light.

Gov. Dan McKee said the ranking reflects the work of the state Department of Environmental Management to protect Rhode Island’s natural resources.

“Rhode Island is a leader in climate change action, urban forestry, growing the clean energy economy, and supporting resiliency in our communities, and this ranking is a reflection of our state’s dedication towards our natural environment,” McKee said in a statement.

But Rhode Island ranked low on energy

Rhode Island didn’t do as well on the Best States ranking for infrastructure, coming in 45th place, in part because of its low scores for energy.

In some ways, that’s not surprising. Rhode Island got dinged for having some of the highest electricity prices in the nation. Only five states had higher retail electric rates than Rhode Island last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

States in New England consistently pay more for electricity in part because of a reliance on natural gas for generation and constraints on the pipeline network that brings the fossil fuel into the region.

And on renewable energy Rhode Island didn’t do so well, with a ranking of only 36th.

That’s a little unexpected considering all the state has done to increase development of solar and offshore wind power.