Clean, modern office with open space layout


As employees continue to return to the workplace over five years since much of the world turned to remote work, some office conditions are not up to snuff. A clean workplace is vital to protect workers’ health, safety, and overall quality of life. Maintaining sanitary, tidy restrooms, breakrooms/kitchens, and general work environments ensures that employees can focus on their tasks and feel comfortable throughout the day.  

This isn’t entirely up to individual companies, however. Things like local regulations, air quality, and population density vary widely by state, and all of them have an impact on workplace cleanliness. While some states enforce strict legislation and enjoy a wealth of resources, others are more lax on health and safety policies or have less access to materials.  

Stratus Building Solutions recently conducted a study that ranked each state from the cleanest to the dirtiest. They analyzed five metrics: OSHA sanitation violations, rate of janitors and cleaners per capita, population density, air pollution, and state mandated sick leave laws. Each category has a corresponding number of points, with each state able to reach a combined maximum of 600.  

The average national cleanliness score was 341, equivalent to a D grade. Midwestern and Mountain West states tended to score higher due to lower population density, cleaner air, and fewer sanitation violations. Southern States ranked toward the bottom, with high violation rates, low janitorial staff rates, and a lack of sick leave laws. While densely populated coastal states like New Jersey and New York scored high in staff rates, they struggled in air quality and population density.  

Here are the top five states with the cleanest workplaces:  

1. Nebraska  
2. Colorado  
3. North Dakota 
4. South Dakota  
5. Washington  

And here are the five states with the dirtiest workplaces:  

1. Tennessee 
2. North Carolina  
3. Mississippi 
4. Virginia  
5. Connecticut  

The top 10 cities with the most OSHA violations include:  

1. Jackson, Tennessee 
2. Richmond, Virginia 
3. Albany, New York 
4. Jackson, Mississippi 
5. Chattanooga, Tennessee 
6. Eugene, Oregon 
7. Bridgeport, Connecticut 
8. New Haven, Connecticut 
9. Concord, North Carolina 
10. Wilmington, North Carolina 

Read here to explore the full findings of the study.