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 2019, at 100%. San Bernardino County had the lowest, at 7.9%. The median was 65.2%. Source: EPA.

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Highest100Lake County
Median65.253 counties

Map of counties, 2019

Alameda County: 50.1 %Amador County: 86.8 %Butte County: 46.8 %Calaveras County: 80 %Colusa County: 71.2 %Contra Costa County: 65.2 %Del Norte County: 84.7 %El Dorado County: 74.8 %Fresno County: 31 %Glenn County: 75.7 %Humboldt County: 93.7 %Imperial County: 25.8 %Inyo County: 61.9 %Kern County: 24.9 %Kings County: 33.7 %Lake County: 100 %Los Angeles County: 9.3 %Madera County: 45.8 %Marin County: 80.2 %Mariposa County: 52.6 %Mendocino County: 80.3 %Merced County: 48.2 %Mono County: 66.3 %Monterey County: 83 %Napa County: 81.3 %Nevada County: 69.5 %Orange County: 43 %Placer County: 54.2 %Plumas County: 64.5 %Riverside County: 14.5 %Sacramento County: 47.9 %San Benito County: 87.1 %San Bernardino County: 7.9 %San Diego County: 10.4 %San Francisco County: 68.8 %San Joaquin County: 55.3 %San Luis Obispo County: 53.7 %San Mateo County: 75.6 %Santa Barbara County: 66.3 %Santa Clara County: 56.2 %Santa Cruz County: 79.7 %Shasta County: 84.1 %Siskiyou County: 82.7 %Solano County: 61.9 %Sonoma County: 87.1 %Stanislaus County: 46 %Sutter County: 54.8 %Tehama County: 72.1 %Trinity County: 83.6 %Tulare County: 26.8 %Tuolumne County: 76.3 %Ventura County: 47.9 %Yolo County: 69 %
  • Under 40
  • 40 to 53
  • 53 to 65
  • 65 to 75
  • 75 to 83
  • 83 and over
  • No data
%, 2019. 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, 2019

Lake County: 100 %Lake County100Humboldt County: 93.7 %Humboldt County93.7San Benito County: 87.1 %San Benito County87.1Sonoma County: 87.1 %Sonoma County87.1Amador County: 86.8 %Amador County86.8Del Norte County: 84.7 %Del Norte County84.7Shasta County: 84.1 %Shasta County84.1Trinity County: 83.6 %Trinity County83.6Monterey County: 83 %Monterey County83Siskiyou County: 82.7 %Siskiyou County82.7Napa County: 81.3 %Napa County81.3Mendocino County: 80.3 %Mendocino County80.3Marin County: 80.2 %Marin County80.2Calaveras County: 80 %Calaveras County80Santa Cruz County: 79.7 %Santa Cruz County79.7Tuolumne County: 76.3 %Tuolumne County76.3Glenn County: 75.7 %Glenn County75.7San Mateo County: 75.6 %San Mateo County75.6El Dorado County: 74.8 %El Dorado County74.8Tehama County: 72.1 %Tehama County72.1Colusa County: 71.2 %Colusa County71.2Nevada County: 69.5 %Nevada County69.5Yolo County: 69 %Yolo County69San Francisco County: 68.8 %San Francisco County68.8Mono County: 66.3 %Mono County66.3Santa Barbara County: 66.3 %Santa Barbara County66.3Contra Costa County: 65.2 %Contra Costa County65.2Plumas County: 64.5 %Plumas County64.5Inyo County: 61.9 %Inyo County61.9Solano County: 61.9 %Solano County61.9Santa Clara County: 56.2 %Santa Clara County56.2San Joaquin County: 55.3 %San Joaquin County55.3Sutter County: 54.8 %Sutter County54.8Placer County: 54.2 %Placer County54.2San Luis Obispo County: 53.7 %San Luis Obispo County53.7Mariposa County: 52.6 %Mariposa County52.6Alameda County: 50.1 %Alameda County50.1Merced County: 48.2 %Merced County48.2Sacramento County: 47.9 %Sacramento County47.9Ventura County: 47.9 %Ventura County47.9Butte County: 46.8 %Butte County46.8Stanislaus County: 46 %Stanislaus County46Madera County: 45.8 %Madera County45.8Orange County: 43 %Orange County43Kings County: 33.7 %Kings County33.7Fresno County: 31 %Fresno County31Tulare County: 26.8 %Tulare County26.8Imperial County: 25.8 %Imperial County25.8Kern County: 24.9 %Kern County24.9Riverside County: 14.5 %Riverside County14.5San Diego County: 10.4 %San Diego County10.4Los Angeles County: 9.3 %Los Angeles County9.3San Bernardino County: 7.9 %San Bernardino County7.9Lake County: 100 %Lake County100Humboldt County: 93.7 %Humboldt County93.7San Benito County: 87.1 %San Benito County87.1Sonoma County: 87.1 %Sonoma County87.1Amador County: 86.8 %Amador County86.8Del Norte County: 84.7 %Del Norte County84.7Shasta County: 84.1 %Shasta County84.1Trinity County: 83.6 %Trinity County83.6Monterey County: 83 %Monterey County83Siskiyou County: 82.7 %Siskiyou County82.7Napa County: 81.3 %Napa County81.3Mendocino County: 80.3 %Mendocino County80.3Marin County: 80.2 %Marin County80.2Calaveras County: 80 %Calaveras County80Santa Cruz County: 79.7 %Santa Cruz County79.7Tuolumne County: 76.3 %Tuolumne County76.3Glenn County: 75.7 %Glenn County75.7San Mateo County: 75.6 %San Mateo County75.6El Dorado County: 74.8 %El Dorado County74.8Tehama County: 72.1 %Tehama County72.1Colusa County: 71.2 %Colusa County71.2Nevada County: 69.5 %Nevada County69.5Yolo County: 69 %Yolo County69San Francisco County: 68.8 %San Francisco County68.8Mono County: 66.3 %Mono County66.3Santa Barbara County: 66.3 %Santa Barbara County66.3Contra Costa County: 65.2 %Contra Costa County65.2Plumas County: 64.5 %Plumas County64.5Inyo County: 61.9 %Inyo County61.9Solano County: 61.9 %Solano County61.9Santa Clara County: 56.2 %Santa Clara County56.2San Joaquin County: 55.3 %San Joaquin County55.3Sutter County: 54.8 %Sutter County54.8Placer County: 54.2 %Placer County54.2San Luis Obispo County: 53.7 %San Luis Obispo County53.7Mariposa County: 52.6 %Mariposa County52.6Alameda County: 50.1 %Alameda County50.1Merced County: 48.2 %Merced County48.2Sacramento County: 47.9 %Sacramento County47.9Ventura County: 47.9 %Ventura County47.9Butte County: 46.8 %Butte County46.8Stanislaus County: 46 %Stanislaus County46Madera County: 45.8 %Madera County45.8Orange County: 43 %Orange County43Kings County: 33.7 %Kings County33.7Fresno County: 31 %Fresno County31Tulare County: 26.8 %Tulare County26.8Imperial County: 25.8 %Imperial County25.8Kern County: 24.9 %Kern County24.9Riverside County: 14.5 %Riverside County14.5San Diego County: 10.4 %San Diego County10.4Los Angeles County: 9.3 %Los Angeles County9.3San Bernardino County: 7.9 %San Bernardino County7.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Lake County100+3.6 pts
2Humboldt County93.7+11.2 pts
3San Benito County87.1+13.1 pts
3Sonoma County87.1+3.8 pts
5Amador County86.8+7.7 pts
6Del Norte County84.7+10.3 pts
7Shasta County84.1+9.6 pts
8Trinity County83.6+43.4 pts
9Monterey County83+12.3 pts
10Siskiyou County82.7+15 pts
11Napa County81.3+23.6 pts
12Mendocino County80.3+20.7 pts
13Marin County80.2+15.8 pts
14Calaveras County80+65.7 pts
15Santa Cruz County79.7+4.9 pts
16Tuolumne County76.3+3.3 pts
17Glenn County75.7+9 pts
18San Mateo County75.6+10.9 pts
19El Dorado County74.8+14.3 pts
20Tehama County72.1+15.1 pts
21Colusa County71.2+14.8 pts
22Nevada County69.5+5.9 pts
23Yolo County69+9.8 pts
24San Francisco County68.8+8 pts
25Mono County66.3-2.7 pts
25Santa Barbara County66.3+18.9 pts
27Contra Costa County65.2+34.8 pts
28Plumas County64.5+11.4 pts
29Inyo County61.9+9.3 pts
29Solano County61.9+11.5 pts
31Santa Clara County56.2+14 pts
32San Joaquin County55.3+30.4 pts
33Sutter County54.8+29 pts
34Placer County54.2-4.2 pts
35San Luis Obispo County53.7+13.4 pts
36Mariposa County52.6+9.9 pts
37Alameda County50.1+29 pts
38Merced County48.2+18.1 pts
39Sacramento County47.9+19.4 pts
39Ventura County47.9+22.1 pts
41Butte County46.8+20.2 pts
42Stanislaus County46+16.1 pts
43Madera County45.8+12.4 pts
44Orange County43+11.8 pts
45Kings County33.7+15.1 pts
46Fresno County31+14.3 pts
47Tulare County26.8+13.1 pts
48Imperial County25.8+7.4 pts
49Kern County24.9+12.6 pts
50Riverside County14.5+5.7 pts
51San Diego County10.4+2.7 pts
52Los Angeles County9.3+7.4 pts
53San Bernardino County7.9+4.1 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 2019 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), 2019) [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), 2019. 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=2019. 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), 2019. 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=2019.

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), 2019 [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=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_california_by_2019,
  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), 2019}},
  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=2019. 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), 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2019.
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 100% in 2019, according to EPA.

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

San Bernardino County, with 7.9% in 2019.

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 2019 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in California: more rankings