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 52 counties in 2023, at 98.3%. Los Angeles County had the lowest, at 11.2%. The median was 59.9%. Source: EPA.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest98.3Lake County
Median59.952 counties

Map of counties, 2023

Alameda County: 54 %Amador County: 94.7 %Butte County: 52.3 %Calaveras County: 80 %Colusa County: 31.5 %Contra Costa County: 47.4 %Del Norte County: 81.7 %El Dorado County: 71 %Fresno County: 26.6 %Glenn County: 75.2 %Humboldt County: 77.8 %Imperial County: 28.5 %Inyo County: 29 %Kern County: 23.3 %Kings County: 34 %Lake County: 98.3 %Los Angeles County: 11.2 %Madera County: 44.4 %Marin County: 86.8 %Mariposa County: 59.5 %Mendocino County: 39.5 %Merced County: 46.8 %Mono County: 89 %Monterey County: 75.1 %Nevada County: 77.7 %Orange County: 43.8 %Placer County: 44.9 %Plumas County: 51 %Riverside County: 17 %Sacramento County: 49.3 %San Benito County: 86.6 %San Bernardino County: 13.7 %San Diego County: 16.7 %San Francisco County: 81.9 %San Joaquin County: 57 %San Luis Obispo County: 56.7 %San Mateo County: 97.8 %Santa Barbara County: 63.6 %Santa Clara County: 65.8 %Santa Cruz County: 82.2 %Shasta County: 67.7 %Siskiyou County: 74 %Solano County: 75.3 %Sonoma County: 88.5 %Stanislaus County: 45.5 %Sutter County: 52.9 %Tehama County: 66.3 %Trinity County: 67.2 %Tulare County: 25.8 %Tuolumne County: 81.7 %Ventura County: 60.3 %Yolo County: 67.4 %
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 47
  • 47 to 60
  • 60 to 74
  • 74 to 82
  • 82 and over
  • No data
%, 2023. 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, 2023

Lake County: 98.3 %Lake County98.3San Mateo County: 97.8 %San Mateo County97.8Amador County: 94.7 %Amador County94.7Mono County: 89 %Mono County89Sonoma County: 88.5 %Sonoma County88.5Marin County: 86.8 %Marin County86.8San Benito County: 86.6 %San Benito County86.6Santa Cruz County: 82.2 %Santa Cruz County82.2San Francisco County: 81.9 %San Francisco County81.9Del Norte County: 81.7 %Del Norte County81.7Tuolumne County: 81.7 %Tuolumne County81.7Calaveras County: 80 %Calaveras County80Humboldt County: 77.8 %Humboldt County77.8Nevada County: 77.7 %Nevada County77.7Solano County: 75.3 %Solano County75.3Glenn County: 75.2 %Glenn County75.2Monterey County: 75.1 %Monterey County75.1Siskiyou County: 74 %Siskiyou County74El Dorado County: 71 %El Dorado County71Shasta County: 67.7 %Shasta County67.7Yolo County: 67.4 %Yolo County67.4Trinity County: 67.2 %Trinity County67.2Tehama County: 66.3 %Tehama County66.3Santa Clara County: 65.8 %Santa Clara County65.8Santa Barbara County: 63.6 %Santa Barbara County63.6Ventura County: 60.3 %Ventura County60.3Mariposa County: 59.5 %Mariposa County59.5San Joaquin County: 57 %San Joaquin County57San Luis Obispo County: 56.7 %San Luis Obispo County56.7Alameda County: 54 %Alameda County54Sutter County: 52.9 %Sutter County52.9Butte County: 52.3 %Butte County52.3Plumas County: 51 %Plumas County51Sacramento County: 49.3 %Sacramento County49.3Contra Costa County: 47.4 %Contra Costa County47.4Merced County: 46.8 %Merced County46.8Stanislaus County: 45.5 %Stanislaus County45.5Placer County: 44.9 %Placer County44.9Madera County: 44.4 %Madera County44.4Orange County: 43.8 %Orange County43.8Mendocino County: 39.5 %Mendocino County39.5Kings County: 34 %Kings County34Colusa County: 31.5 %Colusa County31.5Inyo County: 29 %Inyo County29Imperial County: 28.5 %Imperial County28.5Fresno County: 26.6 %Fresno County26.6Tulare County: 25.8 %Tulare County25.8Kern County: 23.3 %Kern County23.3Riverside County: 17 %Riverside County17San Diego County: 16.7 %San Diego County16.7San Bernardino County: 13.7 %San Bernardino County13.7Los Angeles County: 11.2 %Los Angeles County11.2Lake County: 98.3 %Lake County98.3San Mateo County: 97.8 %San Mateo County97.8Amador County: 94.7 %Amador County94.7Mono County: 89 %Mono County89Sonoma County: 88.5 %Sonoma County88.5Marin County: 86.8 %Marin County86.8San Benito County: 86.6 %San Benito County86.6Santa Cruz County: 82.2 %Santa Cruz County82.2San Francisco County: 81.9 %San Francisco County81.9Del Norte County: 81.7 %Del Norte County81.7Tuolumne County: 81.7 %Tuolumne County81.7Calaveras County: 80 %Calaveras County80Humboldt County: 77.8 %Humboldt County77.8Nevada County: 77.7 %Nevada County77.7Solano County: 75.3 %Solano County75.3Glenn County: 75.2 %Glenn County75.2Monterey County: 75.1 %Monterey County75.1Siskiyou County: 74 %Siskiyou County74El Dorado County: 71 %El Dorado County71Shasta County: 67.7 %Shasta County67.7Yolo County: 67.4 %Yolo County67.4Trinity County: 67.2 %Trinity County67.2Tehama County: 66.3 %Tehama County66.3Santa Clara County: 65.8 %Santa Clara County65.8Santa Barbara County: 63.6 %Santa Barbara County63.6Ventura County: 60.3 %Ventura County60.3Mariposa County: 59.5 %Mariposa County59.5San Joaquin County: 57 %San Joaquin County57San Luis Obispo County: 56.7 %San Luis Obispo County56.7Alameda County: 54 %Alameda County54Sutter County: 52.9 %Sutter County52.9Butte County: 52.3 %Butte County52.3Plumas County: 51 %Plumas County51Sacramento County: 49.3 %Sacramento County49.3Contra Costa County: 47.4 %Contra Costa County47.4Merced County: 46.8 %Merced County46.8Stanislaus County: 45.5 %Stanislaus County45.5Placer County: 44.9 %Placer County44.9Madera County: 44.4 %Madera County44.4Orange County: 43.8 %Orange County43.8Mendocino County: 39.5 %Mendocino County39.5Kings County: 34 %Kings County34Colusa County: 31.5 %Colusa County31.5Inyo County: 29 %Inyo County29Imperial County: 28.5 %Imperial County28.5Fresno County: 26.6 %Fresno County26.6Tulare County: 25.8 %Tulare County25.8Kern County: 23.3 %Kern County23.3Riverside County: 17 %Riverside County17San Diego County: 16.7 %San Diego County16.7San Bernardino County: 13.7 %San Bernardino County13.7Los Angeles County: 11.2 %Los Angeles County11.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Lake County98.3-0.6 pts
2San Mateo County97.8+24.6 pts
3Amador County94.7+3.2 pts
4Mono County89+13.4 pts
5Sonoma County88.5+10.1 pts
6Marin County86.8+11.5 pts
7San Benito County86.6+5.2 pts
8Santa Cruz County82.2+3.6 pts
9San Francisco County81.9+10.5 pts
10Del Norte County81.7-5.2 pts
10Tuolumne County81.7-13.1 pts
12Calaveras County80+1.4 pts
13Humboldt County77.8-15.4 pts
14Nevada County77.7+27 pts
15Solano County75.3+10.9 pts
16Glenn County75.2+1.9 pts
17Monterey County75.1-6.8 pts
18Siskiyou County74-0.3 pts
19El Dorado County71+0.3 pts
20Shasta County67.7-1.6 pts
21Yolo County67.4-10.1 pts
22Trinity County67.2+2.9 pts
23Tehama County66.3-0.8 pts
24Santa Clara County65.8+14.3 pts
25Santa Barbara County63.6+9.4 pts
26Ventura County60.3+13.5 pts
27Mariposa County59.5+1.7 pts
28San Joaquin County57+4.4 pts
29San Luis Obispo County56.7+24.6 pts
30Alameda County54+3.3 pts
31Sutter County52.9+10.6 pts
32Butte County52.30 pts
33Plumas County51+9.8 pts
34Sacramento County49.3+4.9 pts
35Contra Costa County47.4-0.5 pts
36Merced County46.8+8.4 pts
37Stanislaus County45.5+15.9 pts
38Placer County44.9+2.2 pts
39Madera County44.4+4.1 pts
40Orange County43.8+4.6 pts
41Mendocino County39.5+4.2 pts
42Kings County34+14.5 pts
43Colusa County31.5-34.6 pts
44Inyo County29-3.1 pts
45Imperial County28.5+4.9 pts
46Fresno County26.6+5.2 pts
47Tulare County25.8+9.9 pts
48Kern County23.3+10.4 pts
49Riverside County17+5.8 pts
50San Diego County16.7+5.2 pts
51San Bernardino County13.7+7.4 pts
52Los Angeles County11.2+6.5 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. 6 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2023 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), 2023) [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), 2023. 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=2023. 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), 2023. 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=2023.

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), 2023 [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=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_california_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  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=2023. 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), 2023
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=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/california-counties?period=2023.
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 98.3% in 2023, according to EPA.

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

Los Angeles County, with 11.2% in 2023.

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. 6 counties have no value for 2023 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in California: more rankings