A new study by Scarborough has revealed that the greenest people in the United States also happen to be high earners with a taste for luxury. The study calls these individuals the “Super Green,” and they are the 5% of the US population that involves themselves in more than 10 green activities (like composting, recycling and owning reusable shopping bags, among other things). The study uncovered the fact that this subset of the population is more likely to own a home worth over $500K, spend more than $500 a year on cosmetics and clothing and is 49% more likely to buy a luxury vehicle this year. They’re also 178% more likely to have hiked or backpacked and most of them live in the great city of San Francisco.

“Today’s environmentalists have traded sandals and hemp for cashmere and a Lexus,” said Deirdre McFarland, vice president of marketing, Scarborough Research. “As the American economy continues to try to find its footing, luxury marketers – or, really, any marketer who wants to capture the American high spending population – could benefit from green-focused marketing, promotions and products.” It turns out that these super green people are also most likely to search for everything they need online. They go to the web to find local businesses, weather and their news.
The study also revealed that the Northwest has the highest concentration of super green individuals with San Francisco clocking in with the largest percentage. A whopping 17% of Golden Gate City adults engage in more than 10 green activities in their everyday lives. Following San Francisco was Seattle, Washington with 13% and Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California with 11%. In addition to being wealthy and environmentally conscious the super green have a higher average level of education, more diversified household investments and are generally members of Generation X.
+ Read the Study
Via Jetson Green