Air Quality Rankings: Best & Worst US Cities (2026)

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 14 (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 109 (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.

July 2026: #1 cleanest city is Honolulu, HI (AQI 14). Live EPA data updated hourly. Find which US cities have the healthiest air today.

Last updated July 21, 2026 · Real-time AQI from EPA AirNow monitoring stations

68 cities with Good air quality

80 cities with Moderate air quality

1 cities requiring caution

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Best Air Quality by US Region Today

Lowest AQI city in each region right now — useful for regional comparisons and relocation research.

Northeast

Atlantic City, NJAQI 35

All Northeast cities →

Southeast

Miami, FLAQI 26

All Southeast cities →

Midwest

Ann Arbor, MIAQI 37

All Midwest cities →

Southwest

Oklahoma City, OKAQI 36

All Southwest cities →

Mountain

Las Vegas, NVAQI 39

All Mountain cities →

Pacific

Honolulu, HIAQI 14

All Pacific cities →

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.

How to Read These Air Quality Rankings

Every city in this list is ranked by its Air Quality Index (AQI) — a single 0–500 number the U.S. EPA uses to report how clean or polluted the air is right now and what it means for your health. A lower AQI is better: cities near the top of the “Best Air Quality” list have the cleanest air today, while those flagged as “requiring caution” have elevated pollution that can affect sensitive groups. Because the AQI is reported on the same scale nationwide, you can compare any two cities directly — an AQI of 35 in one city means the same thing as an AQI of 35 in another.

The headline AQI for each city reflects whichever pollutant is highest at the moment — usually ground-level ozone (worst on hot, sunny afternoons) or PM2.5 fine particles (worst during wildfire smoke and winter inversions). That’s why a city’s rank can shift hour to hour and season to season. Use the color-coded scale below to translate any AQI value into a plain-English health recommendation.

Air Quality Index (AQI) Scale Explained

AQI	Category	What It Means for You
0–50	Good	Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
51–100	Moderate	Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
101–150	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
151–200	Unhealthy	Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
201–300	Very Unhealthy	Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
301–500	Hazardous	Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.

A “good” AQI is 0–50. Most people only need to take precautions once the AQI rises above 100 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), while a reading above 150 means everyone should consider limiting strenuous outdoor activity. Scale and health categories follow the EPA AirNow standard.

Popular City & State Air Quality Reports

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Air Purifier & Monitor Buying Guides

Not sure which device fits your needs? Our hands-on guides break down the best picks by use case.

Best Air Purifiers Buying Guide →HEPA, CADR & room-size explained Best Air Quality Monitors →Track PM2.5 & AQI in your home Air Purifiers for Wildfire Smoke & PM2.5 →True-HEPA picks for smoke events Improving Indoor Air for Allergies & Pets →Reduce allergens, dander & dust

Complete 2026 Air Quality Rankings

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