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

Q: Which US city has the best air quality?

Currently, El Paso, TX has the best air quality in the United States with an AQI of 35 (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 106 (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 El Paso, TX (AQI 35). Live EPA data updated hourly. Find which US cities have the healthiest air today.

80 cities with Good air quality

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Quality Rankings

Which US city has the best air quality?

Currently, El Paso, TX has the best air quality in the United States with an AQI of 35 (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 106 (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, 80 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

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