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

Dukes County had the highest share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI) of 13 counties in 2016, at 94.6%. Suffolk County had the lowest, at 49.2%. The median was 81.4%. Source: EPA.

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Highest94.6Dukes County
Lowest49.2Suffolk County
Median81.413 counties

Map of counties, 2016

Barnstable County: 92.3 %Berkshire County: 73 %Bristol County: 83.9 %Dukes County: 94.6 %Essex County: 80.6 %Franklin County: 80.9 %Hampden County: 75.4 %Hampshire County: 84.1 %Middlesex County: 94.2 %Norfolk County: 89.3 %Plymouth County: 81.4 %Suffolk County: 49.2 %Worcester County: 77.9 %
  • Under 76
  • 76 to 81
  • 81 to 84
  • 84 to 91
  • 91 and over
  • No data
%, 2016. 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, 2016

Dukes County: 94.6 %Dukes County94.6Middlesex County: 94.2 %Middlesex County94.2Barnstable County: 92.3 %Barnstable County92.3Norfolk County: 89.3 %Norfolk County89.3Hampshire County: 84.1 %Hampshire County84.1Bristol County: 83.9 %Bristol County83.9Plymouth County: 81.4 %Plymouth County81.4Franklin County: 80.9 %Franklin County80.9Essex County: 80.6 %Essex County80.6Worcester County: 77.9 %Worcester County77.9Hampden County: 75.4 %Hampden County75.4Berkshire County: 73 %Berkshire County73Suffolk County: 49.2 %Suffolk County49.2Dukes County: 94.6 %Dukes County94.6Middlesex County: 94.2 %Middlesex County94.2Barnstable County: 92.3 %Barnstable County92.3Norfolk County: 89.3 %Norfolk County89.3Hampshire County: 84.1 %Hampshire County84.1Bristol County: 83.9 %Bristol County83.9Plymouth County: 81.4 %Plymouth County81.4Franklin County: 80.9 %Franklin County80.9Essex County: 80.6 %Essex County80.6Worcester County: 77.9 %Worcester County77.9Hampden County: 75.4 %Hampden County75.4Berkshire County: 73 %Berkshire County73Suffolk County: 49.2 %Suffolk County49.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Dukes County94.6+4.2 pts
2Middlesex County94.2-1.1 pts
3Barnstable County92.3+1.1 pts
4Norfolk County89.3+10.7 pts
5Hampshire County84.1+2.4 pts
6Bristol County83.9+12.7 pts
7Plymouth County81.4+13.6 pts
8Franklin County80.9+17.1 pts
9Essex County80.6+10.7 pts
10Worcester County77.9+5 pts
11Hampden County75.4+12.1 pts
12Berkshire County73+13.3 pts
13Suffolk County49.2+10.6 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. 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 Massachusetts by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2016) [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 Massachusetts by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2016. 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/massachusetts-counties?period=2016. 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 Massachusetts by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2016. 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/massachusetts-counties?period=2016.

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 Massachusetts by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/massachusetts-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2016,
  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 Massachusetts by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2016}},
  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/massachusetts-counties?period=2016. 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 Massachusetts by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 2016
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/massachusetts-counties?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/massachusetts-counties?period=2016.
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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Questions

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

Dukes County, with 94.6% in 2016, according to EPA.

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

Suffolk County, with 49.2% in 2016.

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.

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

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings