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

Barnstable County had the highest share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI) of 13 counties in 2020, at 96.6%. Suffolk County had the lowest, at 62.6%. The median was 76%. Source: EPA.

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Lowest62.6Suffolk County
Median7613 counties

Map of counties, 2020

Barnstable County: 96.6 %Berkshire County: 76 %Bristol County: 68.3 %Dukes County: 96.6 %Essex County: 77 %Franklin County: 67.4 %Hampden County: 68 %Hampshire County: 82 %Middlesex County: 83.6 %Norfolk County: 90.2 %Plymouth County: 73 %Suffolk County: 62.6 %Worcester County: 70.2 %
  • Under 68
  • 68 to 72
  • 72 to 78
  • 78 to 88
  • 88 and over
  • No data
%, 2020. 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, 2020

Barnstable County: 96.6 %Barnstable County96.6Dukes County: 96.6 %Dukes County96.6Norfolk County: 90.2 %Norfolk County90.2Middlesex County: 83.6 %Middlesex County83.6Hampshire County: 82 %Hampshire County82Essex County: 77 %Essex County77Berkshire County: 76 %Berkshire County76Plymouth County: 73 %Plymouth County73Worcester County: 70.2 %Worcester County70.2Bristol County: 68.3 %Bristol County68.3Hampden County: 68 %Hampden County68Franklin County: 67.4 %Franklin County67.4Suffolk County: 62.6 %Suffolk County62.6Barnstable County: 96.6 %Barnstable County96.6Dukes County: 96.6 %Dukes County96.6Norfolk County: 90.2 %Norfolk County90.2Middlesex County: 83.6 %Middlesex County83.6Hampshire County: 82 %Hampshire County82Essex County: 77 %Essex County77Berkshire County: 76 %Berkshire County76Plymouth County: 73 %Plymouth County73Worcester County: 70.2 %Worcester County70.2Bristol County: 68.3 %Bristol County68.3Hampden County: 68 %Hampden County68Franklin County: 67.4 %Franklin County67.4Suffolk County: 62.6 %Suffolk County62.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Barnstable County96.6+0.2 pts
1Dukes County96.6+3.1 pts
3Norfolk County90.2-7 pts
4Middlesex County83.6+4.2 pts
5Hampshire County82+0.7 pts
6Essex County77-2.1 pts
7Berkshire County76+2.9 pts
8Plymouth County73-6.6 pts
9Worcester County70.2+5 pts
10Bristol County68.3-8.3 pts
11Hampden County68-3.4 pts
12Franklin County67.4-9.8 pts
13Suffolk County62.6+1.2 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), 2020) [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), 2020. 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=2020. 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), 2020. 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=2020.

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), 2020 [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=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2020,
  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), 2020}},
  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=2020. 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
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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), 2020
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=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/massachusetts-counties?period=2020.
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)?

Barnstable County, with 96.6% in 2020, according to EPA.

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

Suffolk County, with 62.6% in 2020.

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