US Air Quality Rankings 2026: Best & Worst Cities by Current AQI

Q: Which US city has the best air quality?

Currently, Honolulu, HI has the best air quality in the United States with an AQI of 15 (Good). Rankings are updated in real-time based on EPA monitoring data.

Q: Which US city has the worst air quality today?

Currently, Bakersfield, CA has the highest pollution levels with an AQI of 107 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Air quality can change significantly throughout the day and by season.

Q: How many US cities do you track for air quality?

We track real-time air quality data for 149 cities across the United States, covering all 50 states plus Washington D.C.

May 2026: #1 cleanest city is Honolulu, HI (AQI 15). Live EPA data updated hourly. Find which US cities have the healthiest air today.

72 cities with Good air quality

76 cities with Moderate air quality

1 cities requiring caution

About These Rankings

Rankings are based on real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) data from EPA monitoring stations via the AirNow network. The AQI is calculated from measurements of five major pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Lower AQI values indicate cleaner air. Rankings update as new data becomes available throughout the day.

Complete 2026 Air Quality Rankings

Rank	City	State	AQI	Category
1	Honolulu	Hawaii	AQI 15	Good
2	Anchorage	Alaska	AQI 18	Good
3	Miami	Florida	AQI 27	Good
4	Harrisburg	Pennsylvania	AQI 35	Good
5	Tacoma	Washington	AQI 35	Good
6	Omaha	Nebraska	AQI 35	Good
7	Sioux Falls	South Dakota	AQI 35	Good
8	Modesto	California	AQI 36	Good
9	Seattle	Washington	AQI 36	Good
10	Spokane	Washington	AQI 36	Good
11	Springfield	Massachusetts	AQI 36	Good
12	Madison	Wisconsin	AQI 36	Good
13	New York	New York	AQI 37	Good
14	Lubbock	Texas	AQI 38	Good
15	Orlando	Florida	AQI 38	Good
16	Pensacola	Florida	AQI 38	Good
17	Virginia Beach	Virginia	AQI 38	Good
18	Wilmington	Delaware	AQI 38	Good
19	San Jose	California	AQI 39	Good
20	Jacksonville	Florida	AQI 39	Good
21	Sarasota	Florida	AQI 39	Good
22	Macon	Georgia	AQI 39	Good
23	Jackson	Mississippi	AQI 39	Good
24	Riverside	California	AQI 40	Good
25	Buffalo	New York	AQI 40	Good
26	Indianapolis	Indiana	AQI 40	Good
27	Little Rock	Arkansas	AQI 40	Good
28	Visalia	California	AQI 41	Good
29	Irvine	California	AQI 41	Good
30	Rochester	New York	AQI 41	Good
31	Charlotte	North Carolina	AQI 41	Good
32	Burlington	Vermont	AQI 41	Good
33	West Palm Beach	Florida	AQI 42	Good
34	Reno	Nevada	AQI 42	Good
35	Long Beach	California	AQI 43	Good
36	Tucson	Arizona	AQI 43	Good
37	Scottsdale	Arizona	AQI 43	Good
38	Colorado Springs	Colorado	AQI 43	Good
39	Providence	Rhode Island	AQI 43	Good
40	Brownsville	Texas	AQI 44	Good
41	Toledo	Ohio	AQI 44	Good
42	Boise	Idaho	AQI 44	Good
43	Tampa	Florida	AQI 45	Good
44	Columbus	Ohio	AQI 45	Good
45	Atlanta	Georgia	AQI 45	Good
46	Newark	New Jersey	AQI 45	Good
47	Washington	District of Columbia	AQI 45	Good
48	Erie	Pennsylvania	AQI 46	Good
49	Durham	North Carolina	AQI 46	Good
50	Aurora	Colorado	AQI 46	Good
51	Worcester	Massachusetts	AQI 47	Good
52	Memphis	Tennessee	AQI 47	Good
53	Syracuse	New York	AQI 48	Good
54	Springfield	Illinois	AQI 48	Good
55	Lansing	Michigan	AQI 48	Good
56	Portland	Oregon	AQI 48	Good
57	Baltimore	Maryland	AQI 48	Good
58	Richmond	Virginia	AQI 48	Good
59	Norfolk	Virginia	AQI 48	Good
60	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	AQI 48	Good
61	Tulsa	Oklahoma	AQI 48	Good
62	Amarillo	Texas	AQI 49	Good
63	Tallahassee	Florida	AQI 49	Good
64	Trenton	New Jersey	AQI 49	Good
65	Atlantic City	New Jersey	AQI 49	Good
66	Cambridge	Massachusetts	AQI 49	Good
67	Fort Collins	Colorado	AQI 49	Good
68	Kansas City	Missouri	AQI 49	Good
69	Vancouver	Washington	AQI 50	Good
70	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	AQI 50	Good
71	Hartford	Connecticut	AQI 50	Good
72	Charleston	West Virginia	AQI 50	Good
73	Fort Worth	Texas	AQI 51	Moderate
74	Fort Lauderdale	Florida	AQI 51	Moderate
75	Montgomery	Alabama	AQI 51	Moderate
76	San Antonio	Texas	AQI 52	Moderate
77	Nashville	Tennessee	AQI 52	Moderate
78	Knoxville	Tennessee	AQI 52	Moderate
79	Charleston	South Carolina	AQI 52	Moderate
80	Cheyenne	Wyoming	AQI 52	Moderate
81	Stockton	California	AQI 53	Moderate
82	Cincinnati	Ohio	AQI 53	Moderate
83	Grand Rapids	Michigan	AQI 53	Moderate
84	Columbia	South Carolina	AQI 53	Moderate
85	Albuquerque	New Mexico	AQI 53	Moderate
86	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	AQI 54	Moderate
87	Winston-Salem	North Carolina	AQI 54	Moderate
88	Denver	Colorado	AQI 54	Moderate
89	St. Louis	Missouri	AQI 54	Moderate
90	Dallas	Texas	AQI 55	Moderate
91	Laredo	Texas	AQI 55	Moderate
92	Cleveland	Ohio	AQI 55	Moderate
93	Greensboro	North Carolina	AQI 55	Moderate
94	Santa Fe	New Mexico	AQI 55	Moderate
95	Fargo	North Dakota	AQI 55	Moderate
96	St. Petersburg	Florida	AQI 56	Moderate
97	Aurora	Illinois	AQI 56	Moderate
98	Scranton	Pennsylvania	AQI 56	Moderate
99	Ann Arbor	Michigan	AQI 56	Moderate
100	Jersey City	New Jersey	AQI 56	Moderate
101	Billings	Montana	AQI 56	Moderate
102	El Paso	Texas	AQI 57	Moderate
103	Corpus Christi	Texas	AQI 57	Moderate
104	Raleigh	North Carolina	AQI 57	Moderate
105	Des Moines	Iowa	AQI 57	Moderate
106	Portland	Maine	AQI 57	Moderate
107	Manchester	New Hampshire	AQI 57	Moderate
108	Sacramento	California	AQI 58	Moderate
109	Mesa	Arizona	AQI 58	Moderate
110	San Francisco	California	AQI 59	Moderate
111	Oakland	California	AQI 59	Moderate
112	McAllen	Texas	AQI 59	Moderate
113	Albany	New York	AQI 59	Moderate
114	Savannah	Georgia	AQI 59	Moderate
115	Boston	Massachusetts	AQI 59	Moderate
116	San Diego	California	AQI 60	Moderate
117	Akron	Ohio	AQI 60	Moderate
118	Detroit	Michigan	AQI 60	Moderate
119	Flint	Michigan	AQI 60	Moderate
120	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	AQI 60	Moderate
121	Yonkers	New York	AQI 61	Moderate
122	Peoria	Illinois	AQI 61	Moderate
123	Dayton	Ohio	AQI 61	Moderate
124	Augusta	Georgia	AQI 61	Moderate
125	Minneapolis	Minnesota	AQI 61	Moderate
126	St. Paul	Minnesota	AQI 61	Moderate
127	Las Vegas	Nevada	AQI 62	Moderate
128	Louisville	Kentucky	AQI 62	Moderate
129	Austin	Texas	AQI 63	Moderate
130	White Plains	New York	AQI 63	Moderate
131	Phoenix	Arizona	AQI 63	Moderate
132	New Haven	Connecticut	AQI 63	Moderate
133	Wichita	Kansas	AQI 63	Moderate
134	Santa Rosa	California	AQI 64	Moderate
135	Rockford	Illinois	AQI 64	Moderate
136	Fort Wayne	Indiana	AQI 64	Moderate
137	New Orleans	Louisiana	AQI 64	Moderate
138	Binghamton	New York	AQI 65	Moderate
139	Allentown	Pennsylvania	AQI 65	Moderate
140	Lexington	Kentucky	AQI 65	Moderate
141	Lincoln	Nebraska	AQI 65	Moderate
142	Chicago	Illinois	AQI 68	Moderate
143	Birmingham	Alabama	AQI 68	Moderate
144	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	AQI 72	Moderate
145	Los Angeles	California	AQI 73	Moderate
146	Houston	Texas	AQI 78	Moderate
147	Fresno	California	AQI 81	Moderate
148	Salt Lake City	Utah	AQI 85	Moderate
149	Bakersfield	California	AQI 107	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Quality Rankings

Which US city has the best air quality?

Currently, Honolulu, HI has the best air quality in the United States with an AQI of 15 (Good). Rankings are updated in real-time based on EPA monitoring data.

Which US city has the worst air quality today?

Currently, Bakersfield, CA has the highest pollution levels with an AQI of 107 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Air quality can change significantly throughout the day and by season.

How often are these air quality rankings updated?

Our air quality rankings are updated every hour using real-time data from EPA monitoring stations via the AirNow network. This ensures you always have access to the most current air quality information for planning outdoor activities or travel.

What is considered "good" air quality?

Air quality is considered "Good" when the AQI is between 0-50. At this level, air pollution poses little or no risk, and outdoor activities are safe for everyone including sensitive groups. Currently, 72 out of 149 cities have good air quality.

How many US cities do you track for air quality?

We track real-time air quality data for 149 cities across the United States, covering all 50 states plus Washington D.C. Our data comes from EPA-certified monitoring stations that measure PM2.5, ozone, and other key pollutants.

Which states have the best air quality in the US?

States with consistently good air quality include Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and other areas with low population density and fewer industrial sources. View our state-by-state air quality data for detailed rankings.

Is it safe to move to a city with moderate air quality?

Cities with moderate air quality (AQI 51-100) are generally safe for most people. However, sensitive groups including those with asthma, respiratory conditions, or heart disease should monitor local conditions. Check our health guides for specific recommendations.

What causes cities to have poor air quality?

Poor air quality is typically caused by vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, wildfires, weather patterns (like temperature inversions), and geographic factors. Cities in valleys or near industrial areas often experience higher pollution levels. Learn more about air pollution causes and health effects.

US Air Quality Rankings 2026: Best & Worst Cities by Current AQI

Best Air Quality

Areas Requiring Caution

About These Rankings

Browse Air Quality by State