2025’s Best Cities for Robot Lawn Mower Ownership

Q: Quotes from Lawn Love Editor-in-Chief, Sharon Sullivan:

38 California cities tie with the most incentives , such as discounts, rebates, and grant programs , for purchasing electric lawn equipment like robot mowers . Washington (No. 10) and its neighbor, Alexandria, Virginia (No. 13), finish in the top 15 with small yards and high household purchasing power for affording smart mowers. Melbourne, Florida (No. 94), has the most Google searches for robot mowers on average when adjusted to the local population, followed by Minneapolis (No. 43) and St. Louis (No. 149). Washington state cities Seattle (No. 99) and Bellevue (No. 122) have the most affordable electric bills when adjusted to average household income. The Evergreen State has generally affordable electricity as it leads the nation in producing hydroelectric power .

Where should U.S. homeowners consider upgrading to a smart mower?

To find out, Lawn Love ranked 2025’s Best Cities for Robot Lawn Mower Ownership.

We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on 4 categories. More specifically, we looked at average yard size, bans on gas-powered lawn mowers, and local incentives for purchasing electric lawn equipment, among 11 total metrics.

Mow through our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.

Top 5 cities

Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 cities for purchasing robot lawn mowers.

An aerial view of Lake Forest, California with the ocean in the distance — **No. 1:** Lake Forest, California | **Overall score:** 62.04

**Average Yard Size:** 3,530 sq ft (0.08 acres) | Rank: 20
**Average Cost of Electricity (Income-Adjusted):** 0.0012% | Rank: 154
**Household Purchasing Power Index:** 84.51 | Rank: 173
**Gas Powered Equipment Bans and Restrictions:** 1 | Rank: 1 (TIE)
**Incentives for Electric Lawn Mowers:** 25 | Rank: 1 (TIE)

**Local tips:** Locals can buy a lawn bot of their own with a bit of a discount, thanks to the South Coast Air Quality Management District rebate program, which grants up to $250 for electric lawn equipment.

Photo credit: Don Ramey Logan / Wikimedia Commons / License

An oceanside neighborhood in Newport Beach, California — **No. 2:** Newport Beach, California | **Overall score:** 61.79

**Average Yard Size:** 2,117.5 sq ft (0.05 acres) | Rank: 7
**Number of Days in Growing Season:** 340 | Rank: 47
**Average Cost of Electricity (Income-Adjusted):** 0.000796% | Rank: 16
**Gas Powered Equipment Bans and Restrictions:** 1 | Rank: 1 (TIE)
**Incentives for Electric Lawn Mowers:** 25 | Rank: 1 (TIE)

**Local tips:** Since 2017, robot mowers have helped maintain the turf at the local Civic Center, with one named Mow-ana cutting the grass outside Newport City Hall. Locals can utilize the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s rebate program, allowing up to $250 in reimbursements for electric lawn equipment.

Photo credit: Noah Wulf / Wikimedia Commons / License

An aerial view of San Ramon, California — **No. 3:** San Ramon, California | **Overall score:** 61.19

**Average Yard Size:** 4,800 sq ft (0.11 acres) | Rank: 51
**Average Cost of Electricity (Income-Adjusted):** 0.00083% | Rank: 26
**Household Purchasing Power Index:** 69.47 | Rank: 67
**Gas Powered Equipment Bans and Restrictions:** 1 | Rank: 1 (TIE)
**Incentives for Electric Lawn Mowers:** 15 | Rank: 62 (TIE)

Photo credit: ShakataGaNai / Wikimedia Commons / License

An aerial view of Fremont, California, with mountains in the distance — **No. 4:** Fremont, California | **Overall score:** 61.15

**Average Yard Size:** 4,875 (0.111 acres) | Rank: 55
**Average Cost of Electricity (Income-Adjusted):** 0.0009% | Rank: 44
**Gas Powered Equipment Bans and Restrictions:** 1 | Rank: 1 (TIE)
**Sustainable Cities Rank:** 40 | Rank: 40
**Incentives for Electric Lawn Mowers:** 15 | Rank: 62 (TIE)

Photo credit: Alfred Twu / Wikimedia Commons / License

An aerial view of Irvine, California — **No. 5:** Irvine, California | **Overall score:** 61.15

**Average Yard Size:** 3,151.11 sq ft (0.07 acres) | Rank: 18
**Average Cost of Electricity (Income-Adjusted):** 0.0012% | Rank: 143
**Gas Powered Equipment Bans and Restrictions:** 1 | Rank: 1 (TIE)
**Sustainable Cities Rank:** 44 | Rank: 44
**Incentives for Electric Lawn Mowers:** 25 | Rank: 1 (TIE)

**Local tips:** Locals can get a deal on a new electric mower, thanks to the rebate program from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which awards up to $250 for upgrading to electric lawn equipment.

Photo credit: Azusa Tarn / Wikimedia Commons / License

Key insights

9 California cities score in the top 10, with tiny yards, bans on gas-powered lawn equipment, and incentives for switching to electric lawn care equipment.

California banned purchases of new gas-powered lawn care equipment in 2024 as a way to curb noise and air pollution. According to 2020 EPA data, the use of gas-powered lawn equipment nationwide generates more carbon dioxide emissions each year than the entire city of Los Angeles (No. 28).

Robot mowers can be pricey — ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Homeowners in cities like Carmel, Indiana (No. 33), Naperville, Illinois (No. 22), and Johns Creek, Georgia (No. 26), have the highest purchasing power, making smart mowers easier to afford. Local Google searches show these 3 cities also demonstrate high demand for robot mowers.

Anyone can order a robot mower, but it may take a fleet of them to manicure lawns in cities like Suffolk, Virginia (No. 388), Murfreesboro, Tennessee (No. 410), and Tyler, Texas (No. 456), where homeowners have the biggest yards on average, over 25,200 square feet.

Explore other insights below.

City rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

Behind the ranking

First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Cities for Robot Lawn Mower Ownership. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 4 categories: Cost, Usefulness, Local Incentives, and Demand. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.

For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table.

Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 500).

Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 500 due to ties.

Sources

Almanac, AreaVibes, ElectricityLocal, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Google Ads, LawnStarter, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, TexPIRG Education Fund, U.S. Census Bureau, and U.S. PIRG Education Fund

The demand for robot mowers is exploding, with projections saying the global market will go from $1.5 billion in 2023 to $4 billion by 2030. One new smart mower reached 800% of its crowdfunding goal within 12 hours.

Mowing into the future

Robots can already be found mowing turf on golf courses, public parks, and even school campuses across the country, saving on both money and manpower.

Some homeowners actually like mowing the lawn: It’s a great way to spend some active time outdoors. But for many homeowners, smart mowers can literally mow down the hassle of lawn care.

We surveyed nearly 100 homeowners who use automowers. 87% of respondents said they are somewhat or very happy with their smart mower. However, 48% said they still mow regularly in addition to using their robot mower.

Make your lawn care routine more eco-friendly with help from our tips below.

Explore our smart mower recommendations before adopting your new family robot.
Switch over to electric or battery-powered lawn equipment like lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and string trimmers.
Fix your lawn’s slope to prevent your robot from navigating bumpy or uneven terrain.
Xeriscape your lawn to reduce or totally eliminate mowing from your yard chores.
Learn how you can receive a federal tax credit for upgrading to an electric lawn mower.
Is gas-powered lawn equipment a nuisance in your neighborhood? Join or create a local chapter of the Quiet Clean Alliance.

Want to adopt a mower that’s a bit… fuzzier? Check out the Best States for Animal Lawn Mowing.

Save money on a robot mower and hire a local Lawn Love pro to handle your lawn care and landscaping tasks instead.

Media resources

Quotes from Lawn Love Editor-in-Chief, Sharon Sullivan:

38 California cities tie with the most incentives, such as discounts, rebates, and grant programs, for purchasing electric lawn equipment like robot mowers.

Washington (No. 10) and its neighbor, Alexandria, Virginia (No. 13), finish in the top 15 with small yards and high household purchasing power for affording smart mowers.

Melbourne, Florida (No. 94), has the most Google searches for robot mowers on average when adjusted to the local population, followed by Minneapolis (No. 43) and St. Louis (No. 149).

Washington state cities Seattle (No. 99) and Bellevue (No. 122) have the most affordable electric bills when adjusted to average household income. The Evergreen State has generally affordable electricity as it leads the nation in producing hydroelectric power.