Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI)

Lake County had the highest share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI) of 53 counties in 2018, at 96.4%. Los Angeles County had the lowest, at 1.9%. The median was 50.4%. Source: EPA.

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Highest96.4Lake County
Median50.453 counties

Map of counties, 2018

Alameda County: 21.1 %Amador County: 79.1 %Butte County: 26.6 %Calaveras County: 14.3 %Colusa County: 56.4 %Contra Costa County: 30.4 %Del Norte County: 74.4 %El Dorado County: 60.5 %Fresno County: 16.7 %Glenn County: 66.7 %Humboldt County: 82.5 %Imperial County: 18.4 %Inyo County: 52.6 %Kern County: 12.3 %Kings County: 18.6 %Lake County: 96.4 %Los Angeles County: 1.9 %Madera County: 33.4 %Marin County: 64.4 %Mariposa County: 42.7 %Mendocino County: 59.6 %Merced County: 30.1 %Mono County: 69 %Monterey County: 70.7 %Napa County: 57.7 %Nevada County: 63.6 %Orange County: 31.2 %Placer County: 58.4 %Plumas County: 53.1 %Riverside County: 8.8 %Sacramento County: 28.5 %San Benito County: 74 %San Bernardino County: 3.8 %San Diego County: 7.7 %San Francisco County: 60.8 %San Joaquin County: 24.9 %San Luis Obispo County: 40.3 %San Mateo County: 64.7 %Santa Barbara County: 47.4 %Santa Clara County: 42.2 %Santa Cruz County: 74.8 %Shasta County: 74.5 %Siskiyou County: 67.7 %Solano County: 50.4 %Sonoma County: 83.3 %Stanislaus County: 29.9 %Sutter County: 25.8 %Tehama County: 57 %Trinity County: 40.2 %Tulare County: 13.7 %Tuolumne County: 73 %Ventura County: 25.8 %Yolo County: 59.2 %
  • Under 19
  • 19 to 30
  • 30 to 50
  • 50 to 60
  • 60 to 71
  • 71 and over
  • No data
%, 2018. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2018

Lake County: 96.4 %Lake County96.4Sonoma County: 83.3 %Sonoma County83.3Humboldt County: 82.5 %Humboldt County82.5Amador County: 79.1 %Amador County79.1Santa Cruz County: 74.8 %Santa Cruz County74.8Shasta County: 74.5 %Shasta County74.5Del Norte County: 74.4 %Del Norte County74.4San Benito County: 74 %San Benito County74Tuolumne County: 73 %Tuolumne County73Monterey County: 70.7 %Monterey County70.7Mono County: 69 %Mono County69Siskiyou County: 67.7 %Siskiyou County67.7Glenn County: 66.7 %Glenn County66.7San Mateo County: 64.7 %San Mateo County64.7Marin County: 64.4 %Marin County64.4Nevada County: 63.6 %Nevada County63.6San Francisco County: 60.8 %San Francisco County60.8El Dorado County: 60.5 %El Dorado County60.5Mendocino County: 59.6 %Mendocino County59.6Yolo County: 59.2 %Yolo County59.2Placer County: 58.4 %Placer County58.4Napa County: 57.7 %Napa County57.7Tehama County: 57 %Tehama County57Colusa County: 56.4 %Colusa County56.4Plumas County: 53.1 %Plumas County53.1Inyo County: 52.6 %Inyo County52.6Solano County: 50.4 %Solano County50.4Santa Barbara County: 47.4 %Santa Barbara County47.4Mariposa County: 42.7 %Mariposa County42.7Santa Clara County: 42.2 %Santa Clara County42.2San Luis Obispo County: 40.3 %San Luis Obispo County40.3Trinity County: 40.2 %Trinity County40.2Madera County: 33.4 %Madera County33.4Orange County: 31.2 %Orange County31.2Contra Costa County: 30.4 %Contra Costa County30.4Merced County: 30.1 %Merced County30.1Stanislaus County: 29.9 %Stanislaus County29.9Sacramento County: 28.5 %Sacramento County28.5Butte County: 26.6 %Butte County26.6Sutter County: 25.8 %Sutter County25.8Ventura County: 25.8 %Ventura County25.8San Joaquin County: 24.9 %San Joaquin County24.9Alameda County: 21.1 %Alameda County21.1Kings County: 18.6 %Kings County18.6Imperial County: 18.4 %Imperial County18.4Fresno County: 16.7 %Fresno County16.7Calaveras County: 14.3 %Calaveras County14.3Tulare County: 13.7 %Tulare County13.7Kern County: 12.3 %Kern County12.3Riverside County: 8.8 %Riverside County8.8San Diego County: 7.7 %San Diego County7.7San Bernardino County: 3.8 %San Bernardino County3.8Los Angeles County: 1.9 %Los Angeles County1.9Lake County: 96.4 %Lake County96.4Sonoma County: 83.3 %Sonoma County83.3Humboldt County: 82.5 %Humboldt County82.5Amador County: 79.1 %Amador County79.1Santa Cruz County: 74.8 %Santa Cruz County74.8Shasta County: 74.5 %Shasta County74.5Del Norte County: 74.4 %Del Norte County74.4San Benito County: 74 %San Benito County74Tuolumne County: 73 %Tuolumne County73Monterey County: 70.7 %Monterey County70.7Mono County: 69 %Mono County69Siskiyou County: 67.7 %Siskiyou County67.7Glenn County: 66.7 %Glenn County66.7San Mateo County: 64.7 %San Mateo County64.7Marin County: 64.4 %Marin County64.4Nevada County: 63.6 %Nevada County63.6San Francisco County: 60.8 %San Francisco County60.8El Dorado County: 60.5 %El Dorado County60.5Mendocino County: 59.6 %Mendocino County59.6Yolo County: 59.2 %Yolo County59.2Placer County: 58.4 %Placer County58.4Napa County: 57.7 %Napa County57.7Tehama County: 57 %Tehama County57Colusa County: 56.4 %Colusa County56.4Plumas County: 53.1 %Plumas County53.1Inyo County: 52.6 %Inyo County52.6Solano County: 50.4 %Solano County50.4Santa Barbara County: 47.4 %Santa Barbara County47.4Mariposa County: 42.7 %Mariposa County42.7Santa Clara County: 42.2 %Santa Clara County42.2San Luis Obispo County: 40.3 %San Luis Obispo County40.3Trinity County: 40.2 %Trinity County40.2Madera County: 33.4 %Madera County33.4Orange County: 31.2 %Orange County31.2Contra Costa County: 30.4 %Contra Costa County30.4Merced County: 30.1 %Merced County30.1Stanislaus County: 29.9 %Stanislaus County29.9Sacramento County: 28.5 %Sacramento County28.5Butte County: 26.6 %Butte County26.6Sutter County: 25.8 %Sutter County25.8Ventura County: 25.8 %Ventura County25.8San Joaquin County: 24.9 %San Joaquin County24.9Alameda County: 21.1 %Alameda County21.1Kings County: 18.6 %Kings County18.6Imperial County: 18.4 %Imperial County18.4Fresno County: 16.7 %Fresno County16.7Calaveras County: 14.3 %Calaveras County14.3Tulare County: 13.7 %Tulare County13.7Kern County: 12.3 %Kern County12.3Riverside County: 8.8 %Riverside County8.8San Diego County: 7.7 %San Diego County7.7San Bernardino County: 3.8 %San Bernardino County3.8Los Angeles County: 1.9 %Los Angeles County1.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Lake County96.4-0.3 pts
2Sonoma County83.3+10.1 pts
3Humboldt County82.5+0.9 pts
4Amador County79.1-1.3 pts
5Santa Cruz County74.8+1.1 pts
6Shasta County74.5+3.3 pts
7Del Norte County74.4-6.5 pts
8San Benito County74-3.8 pts
9Tuolumne County73+9.2 pts
10Monterey County70.7-1.9 pts
11Mono County69-13.2 pts
12Siskiyou County67.7-20.3 pts
13Glenn County66.7+3.4 pts
14San Mateo County64.7-0.5 pts
15Marin County64.4+3 pts
16Nevada County63.6+10.4 pts
17San Francisco County60.8+3 pts
18El Dorado County60.5-4.4 pts
19Mendocino County59.6-2.3 pts
20Yolo County59.2-3.3 pts
21Placer County58.4+0.6 pts
22Napa County57.7+20.2 pts
23Tehama County57-7.9 pts
24Colusa County56.4-8.5 pts
25Plumas County53.1+0.7 pts
26Inyo County52.6-0.8 pts
27Solano County50.4+3 pts
28Santa Barbara County47.4-2.2 pts
29Mariposa County42.7+2.7 pts
30Santa Clara County42.2-5.5 pts
31San Luis Obispo County40.3+11 pts
32Trinity County40.2+2.8 pts
33Madera County33.4+1.3 pts
34Orange County31.2+7.6 pts
35Contra Costa County30.4-5.5 pts
36Merced County30.1-4.8 pts
37Stanislaus County29.9-4.9 pts
38Sacramento County28.5-0.3 pts
39Butte County26.6-0.8 pts
40Sutter County25.8-9.3 pts
40Ventura County25.8-6.3 pts
42San Joaquin County24.9-13.7 pts
43Alameda County21.1-7.9 pts
44Kings County18.6-3.9 pts
45Imperial County18.4-1.6 pts
46Fresno County16.7-4.1 pts
47Calaveras County14.3-19 pts
48Tulare County13.7-4.7 pts
49Kern County12.3-3.9 pts
50Riverside County8.8+1.7 pts
51San Diego County7.7-3.5 pts
52San Bernardino County3.8+1.3 pts
53Los Angeles County1.9-0.6 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Days with a daily Air Quality Index of 0 to 50 (good) as a percentage of the days of the year with an AQI in a US county. Calculated by Invokely from the day counts in the EPA AirData annual summaries; both counts are stored with each value.

United States counties with air quality monitors only, about 1,000 of some 3,100 in recent years; a county without monitors has no value. The number of days with an AQI differs between counties because some monitors run only in the ozone season.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. 5 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2018 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2026). EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts (Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual

MLA 9

EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts, Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2018. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 July 2026, https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2018. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2018.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts, Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2018 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_california_by_2018,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts: Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2018. Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download\_files.html\#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
TI  - EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts: Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/13
PB  - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in California by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI)?

Lake County, with 96.4% in 2018, according to EPA.

Which county has the lowest share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI)?

Los Angeles County, with 1.9% in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: good days as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 5 counties have no value for 2018 and are not ranked.

Share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI): other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings