The smoggy mountain views and crowded highways were the first clues that Phoenix’s environment is something short of pristine — and, sure, it is a city, after all. But a new national ranking of America’s “dirtiest” cities has slotted Phoenix among the worst of the worst.

Phoenix is the seventh-dirtiest city in the United States, according to an analysis released last week by LawnStarter — a startup that connects landscapers to people looking for yard services. The study ranked 303 of the largest cities in the country using 20 different metrics, each fitting into one of four categories: pollution, living conditions, waste infrastructure and resident dissatisfaction.

The cities ranked worse than Phoenix were, from the top: San Bernadino, California; Los Angeles; Detroit; Reading, Penns

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