Best Cities During Pregnancy
Discover the clean air for expecting mothers based on comprehensive air quality data.
The metric that matters for people who are pregnant
EPA's AQI turns "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" at 100 — the point at which people who are pregnant are advised to shorten or ease outdoor exertion. So the useful ranking is not the most Good days, it is the fewest days above AQI 100. On that measure the best-placed metro area EPA published a full 2025 record for is Santa Rosa, CA, with 0 days above AQI 100 all year (0 above 150) and a median AQI of 9.
| # | City (EPA area) | Good days (2025) | Median AQI | Days over 100 | Days over 150 | Main pollutant | AQI now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CASanta Rosa, CA | 365 / 365 (100%) | 9 | 0 | 0 | coarse dust (PM10) | 6 |
| 2 | Honolulu, HIUrban Honolulu, HI | 355 / 365 (97.3%) | 29 | 0 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 28 |
| 3 | Billings, MTBillings, MT | 315 / 365 (86.3%) | 38 | 0 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 58 |
| 4 | Charleston, WVCharleston, WV | 281 / 365 (77%) | 39 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 22 |
| 5 | San Jose, CASan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 334 / 365 (91.5%) | 39 | 0 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 48 |
| 6 | Amarillo, TXAmarillo, TX | 286 / 365 (78.4%) | 42 | 0 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 20 |
| 7 | Greensboro, NCGreensboro-High Point, NC | 272 / 365 (74.5%) | 42 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 17 |
| 8 | Lexington, KYLexington-Fayette, KY | 268 / 365 (73.4%) | 42 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 32 |
| 9 | Durham, NCDurham-Chapel Hill, NC | 261 / 365 (71.5%) | 43 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 23 |
| 10 | Montgomery, ALMontgomery, AL | 229 / 359 (63.8%) | 44 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 19 |
| 11 | Raleigh, NCRaleigh, NC | 242 / 365 (66.3%) | 44 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 25 |
| 12 | Santa Fe, NMSanta Fe, NM | 286 / 365 (78.4%) | 44 | 0 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 26 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs, COColorado Springs, CO | 249 / 365 (68.2%) | 46 | 0 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 39 |
| 14 | Stockton, CAStockton-Lodi, CA | 219 / 365 (60%) | 46 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 60 |
| 15 | Columbia, SCColumbia, SC | 212 / 365 (58.1%) | 47 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 22 |
| 16 | Sarasota, FLNorth Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 230 / 365 (63%) | 47 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 41 |
| 17 | Savannah, GASavannah, GA | 214 / 365 (58.6%) | 47 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 28 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NCCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 168 / 365 (46%) | 52 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 34 |
| 19 | Jackson, MSJackson, MS | 167 / 365 (45.8%) | 52 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 26 |
| 20 | Winston-Salem, NCWinston-Salem, NC | 152 / 365 (41.6%) | 52 | 0 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 17 |
| 21 | Erie, PAErie, PA | 280 / 365 (76.7%) | 34 | 1 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 28 |
| 22 | Atlantic City, NJAtlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 300 / 365 (82.2%) | 36 | 1 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 21 |
| 23 | Worcester, MAWorcester, MA-CT | 296 / 365 (81.1%) | 39 | 1 | 0 | ground-level ozone | 17 |
| 24 | Norfolk, VAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 285 / 365 (78.1%) | 41 | 1 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 24 |
| 25 | Virginia Beach, VAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 285 / 365 (78.1%) | 41 | 1 | 0 | fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | 24 |
Figures are EPA's published annual AQI summaries by metropolitan area (Annual AQI by CBSA, 2019–2025), retrieved 2026-09-07. The daily AQI EPA summarises is the highest value any monitor in the area reported that day, so these are metro-area readings, not statewide or rural ones. Only cities with at least 300 reported days in 2025 are ranked — a partial year cannot be compared fairly against a full one — and cities in areas EPA publishes no summary for are left out rather than given an estimated value. "AQI now" is the latest AirNow observation at build time and is blank where AirNow has none. Ordering is by days above AQI 100, then days above AQI 150, then median AQI.
Using this list honestly
A low annual count of AQI-100 days does not mean a city never has a bad day, and the days it does have are the ones that matter to people who are pregnant. Check the "days over 150" column as well as the headline number, and look at when those days fall: many cities concentrate them in one season, which the per-city month and season pages break out.
These are metro-area monitor readings, not an assessment of any individual address, and nothing here is medical advice. Indoor air matters at least as much for a sensitive group; see the indoor air quality guide and the room-size calculator.
Why Air Quality Matters
Vulnerable populations need extra protection from air pollution. These cities provide the safest air for sensitive groups.
Selection Criteria
Cities are ranked based on AQI levels, dominant pollutants, seasonal patterns, and specific factors relevant to this category.