Pollution
Air Quality by State 2026
Air Quality Rank (US News)
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State | Air Quality Rank (US News) 2026↓ | Days with Unhealthy Air Quality (US News) 2026 | Industrial Toxin Concentration (US News) 2026 (pounds/mi²) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Arizona | 50 | 267 | 904 |
 | California | 49 | 234 | 236 |
 | Nevada | 48 | 225 | 1,969 |
 | Illinois | 47 | 219 | 1,001 |
 | Texas | 46 | 212 | 968 |
 | Iowa | 45 | 196 | 610 |
 | Oklahoma | 44 | 188 | 516 |
 | Mississippi | 43 | 187 | 987 |
 | Delaware | 42 | 178 | 2,961 |
 | Michigan | 41 | 176 | 962 |
 | Georgia | 40 | 171 | 794 |
 | Arkansas | 39 | 171 | 650 |
 | Pennsylvania | 38 | 170 | 988 |
 | Indiana | 37 | 169 | 2,846 |
 | Alabama | 36 | 169 | 1,643 |
 | Ohio | 35 | 168 | 2,184 |
 | Utah | 34 | 167 | 3,460 |
 | New Mexico | 33 | 167 | 939 |
 | Minnesota | 32 | 163 | 281 |
 | Colorado | 31 | 162 | 233 |
 | Kansas | 30 | 162 | 272 |
 | Kentucky | 29 | 158 | 901 |
 | Wisconsin | 28 | 158 | 477 |
 | Tennessee | 27 | 156 | 1,667 |
 | North Dakota | 26 | 154 | 793 |
 | Missouri | 25 | 152 | 748 |
 | Louisiana | 24 | 152 | 2,831 |
 | North Carolina | 23 | 146 | 1,147 |
 | South Carolina | 22 | 135 | 1,192 |
 | Connecticut | 21 | 132 | 308 |
 | New Jersey | 20 | 129 | 1,344 |
 | Nebraska | 19 | 125 | 228 |
 | New York | 18 | 125 | 311 |
 | Rhode Island | 17 | 124 | 506 |
 | Florida | 16 | 123 | 781 |
 | South Dakota | 15 | 118 | 108 |
 | Oregon | 14 | 105 | 222 |
 | Washington | 13 | 104 | 226 |
 | Montana | 12 | 102 | 360 |
 | Massachusetts | 11 | 100 | 479 |
 | Maryland | 10 | 97 | 412 |
 | Virginia | 9 | 90 | 796 |
 | West Virginia | 8 | 89 | 829 |
 | Vermont | 7 | 88 | 34 |
 | Idaho | 6 | 86 | 524 |
 | Wyoming | 5 | 75 | 224 |
 | New Hampshire | 4 | 66 | 44 |
 | Maine | 3 | 64 | 229 |
 | Alaska | 2 | 55 | 1,575 |
 | Hawaii | 1 | 25 | 362 |
- The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardized tool that measures five major air pollutants—particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone—to communicate how polluted the air is and what associated health effects might be.
- The AQI measures air quality based on pollutant levels, with lower numbers indicating better air quality.
- U.S. News & World Report’s methodology for ranking states’ air quality involves evaluating urban air quality metrics, which are part of their broader Best States rankings.
- Industrial Toxin Concentrations are listed in pound per square mile (pounds/mi²).
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