Research/Bay Area Cleanliness Index 2026

CleanShift Bay Area Cleanliness Index 2026

An independent analysis of public cleanliness signals across major Bay Area cities.

Published: February 2026Last Updated: February 15, 2026

Executive Summary

This report analyzes publicly available cleanliness data across five major Bay Area municipalities. All findings are derived from cited government datasets and municipal records.

1

San Jose leads the Bay Area with a CleanScore of 74, driven by faster response times and lower illegal dumping rates per capita.

2

San Francisco saw a 3-point improvement year-over-year, attributed to increased 311 response capacity in high-density corridors.

3

Oakland faces persistent challenges with illegal dumping, accounting for 30% of all cleaning-related 311 requests.

4

Palo Alto demonstrates the strongest response-time metrics, averaging 2.8 days for cleaning-related service requests.

5

Regional data availability varies significantly, with Marin County and smaller municipalities providing limited public datasets.

Public Cleanliness Signals Comparison

CleanScore™ by City (0-100 scale)

Higher scores indicate better public cleanliness metrics

San Francisco
72
+3 YoY
Oakland
65
+1 YoY
San Jose
74
+2 YoY
Palo Alto
81
+4 YoY
Marin County
78
+2 YoY

City Snapshots

San Francisco

Data Coverage: High
72
CleanScore™
48,230
311 Requests (2025)
12,450
Dumping Reports
4.2 days avg
Response Time
Sources:SF 311 Data, SF Public Works

Oakland

Data Coverage: High
65
CleanScore™
31,890
311 Requests (2025)
9,720
Dumping Reports
5.8 days avg
Response Time
Sources:Oakland 311 Data, Oakland Public Works

San Jose

Data Coverage: High
74
CleanScore™
42,150
311 Requests (2025)
8,340
Dumping Reports
3.9 days avg
Response Time
Sources:San Jose Open Data, VTA

Palo Alto

Data Coverage: Medium
81
CleanScore™

Data coverage limited. Fewer public datasets available.

8,920
311 Requests (2025)
1,230
Dumping Reports
2.8 days avg
Response Time
Sources:Palo Alto Open Data

Marin County

Data Coverage: Limited
78
CleanScore™

Data coverage limited. County-wide aggregation.

6,450
311 Requests (2025)
890
Dumping Reports
3.5 days avg
Response Time
Sources:Marin County Data

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Citing This Report

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CleanShift Research & Intelligence. "Bay Area Cleanliness Index 2026." February 2026. https://getcleanshift.com/research/bay-area-cleanliness-index-2026

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Disclaimer: This report is provided for informational purposes only. All data is sourced from publicly available municipal datasets and may be subject to reporting delays or revisions. CleanShift makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy or completeness of third-party data. The CleanScore™ methodology represents one analytical framework and should not be used as the sole basis for property decisions.