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

Alexander County had the highest share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI) of 51 counties in 1995, at 100%. Yancey County had the lowest, at 23.5%. The median was 76.8%. Source: EPA.

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Lowest23.5Yancey County
Median76.851 counties

Map of counties, 1995

Alamance County: 96.4 %Alexander County: 100 %Avery County: 54.6 %Beaufort County: 100 %Buncombe County: 86 %Cabarrus County: 100 %Caldwell County: 42.7 %Camden County: 61.3 %Carteret County: 76.8 %Caswell County: 63.8 %Catawba County: 98.3 %Chatham County: 59.5 %Cumberland County: 74.7 %Davidson County: 96.7 %Davie County: 100 %Duplin County: 75.7 %Durham County: 68.5 %Edgecombe County: 98.3 %Forsyth County: 64.1 %Franklin County: 58.4 %Gaston County: 98.9 %Granville County: 46.2 %Guilford County: 70.7 %Halifax County: 100 %Harnett County: 100 %Haywood County: 46.4 %Henderson County: 100 %Johnston County: 60.4 %Lincoln County: 57.1 %McDowell County: 98.4 %Macon County: 81.7 %Martin County: 64.3 %Mecklenburg County: 64.1 %Mitchell County: 96.6 %Montgomery County: 60.8 %New Hanover County: 100 %Northampton County: 60.3 %Onslow County: 100 %Orange County: 93.4 %Pasquotank County: 100 %Person County: 60.3 %Pitt County: 65.7 %Robeson County: 100 %Rockingham County: 72.4 %Rowan County: 48.5 %Swain County: 81.2 %Wake County: 61.1 %Watauga County: 100 %Wayne County: 100 %Wilson County: 100 %Yancey County: 23.5 %
  • Under 60
  • 60 to 64
  • 64 to 77
  • 77 to 98
  • 98 to 100
  • 100 and over
  • No data
%, 1995. 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, 1995

Alexander County: 100 %Alexander County100Beaufort County: 100 %Beaufort County100Cabarrus County: 100 %Cabarrus County100Davie County: 100 %Davie County100Halifax County: 100 %Halifax County100Harnett County: 100 %Harnett County100Henderson County: 100 %Henderson County100New Hanover County: 100 %New Hanover County100Onslow County: 100 %Onslow County100Pasquotank County: 100 %Pasquotank County100Robeson County: 100 %Robeson County100Watauga County: 100 %Watauga County100Wayne County: 100 %Wayne County100Wilson County: 100 %Wilson County100Gaston County: 98.9 %Gaston County98.9McDowell County: 98.4 %McDowell County98.4Catawba County: 98.3 %Catawba County98.3Edgecombe County: 98.3 %Edgecombe County98.3Davidson County: 96.7 %Davidson County96.7Mitchell County: 96.6 %Mitchell County96.6Alamance County: 96.4 %Alamance County96.4Orange County: 93.4 %Orange County93.4Buncombe County: 86 %Buncombe County86Macon County: 81.7 %Macon County81.7Swain County: 81.2 %Swain County81.2Carteret County: 76.8 %Carteret County76.8Duplin County: 75.7 %Duplin County75.7Cumberland County: 74.7 %Cumberland County74.7Rockingham County: 72.4 %Rockingham County72.4Guilford County: 70.7 %Guilford County70.7Durham County: 68.5 %Durham County68.5Pitt County: 65.7 %Pitt County65.7Martin County: 64.3 %Martin County64.3Forsyth County: 64.1 %Forsyth County64.1Mecklenburg County: 64.1 %Mecklenburg County64.1Caswell County: 63.8 %Caswell County63.8Camden County: 61.3 %Camden County61.3Wake County: 61.1 %Wake County61.1Montgomery County: 60.8 %Montgomery County60.8Johnston County: 60.4 %Johnston County60.4Northampton County: 60.3 %Northampton County60.3Person County: 60.3 %Person County60.3Chatham County: 59.5 %Chatham County59.5Franklin County: 58.4 %Franklin County58.4Lincoln County: 57.1 %Lincoln County57.1Avery County: 54.6 %Avery County54.6Rowan County: 48.5 %Rowan County48.5Haywood County: 46.4 %Haywood County46.4Granville County: 46.2 %Granville County46.2Caldwell County: 42.7 %Caldwell County42.7Yancey County: 23.5 %Yancey County23.5Alexander County: 100 %Alexander County100Beaufort County: 100 %Beaufort County100Cabarrus County: 100 %Cabarrus County100Davie County: 100 %Davie County100Halifax County: 100 %Halifax County100Harnett County: 100 %Harnett County100Henderson County: 100 %Henderson County100New Hanover County: 100 %New Hanover County100Onslow County: 100 %Onslow County100Pasquotank County: 100 %Pasquotank County100Robeson County: 100 %Robeson County100Watauga County: 100 %Watauga County100Wayne County: 100 %Wayne County100Wilson County: 100 %Wilson County100Gaston County: 98.9 %Gaston County98.9McDowell County: 98.4 %McDowell County98.4Catawba County: 98.3 %Catawba County98.3Edgecombe County: 98.3 %Edgecombe County98.3Davidson County: 96.7 %Davidson County96.7Mitchell County: 96.6 %Mitchell County96.6Alamance County: 96.4 %Alamance County96.4Orange County: 93.4 %Orange County93.4Buncombe County: 86 %Buncombe County86Macon County: 81.7 %Macon County81.7Swain County: 81.2 %Swain County81.2Carteret County: 76.8 %Carteret County76.8Duplin County: 75.7 %Duplin County75.7Cumberland County: 74.7 %Cumberland County74.7Rockingham County: 72.4 %Rockingham County72.4Guilford County: 70.7 %Guilford County70.7Durham County: 68.5 %Durham County68.5Pitt County: 65.7 %Pitt County65.7Martin County: 64.3 %Martin County64.3Forsyth County: 64.1 %Forsyth County64.1Mecklenburg County: 64.1 %Mecklenburg County64.1Caswell County: 63.8 %Caswell County63.8Camden County: 61.3 %Camden County61.3Wake County: 61.1 %Wake County61.1Montgomery County: 60.8 %Montgomery County60.8Johnston County: 60.4 %Johnston County60.4Northampton County: 60.3 %Northampton County60.3Person County: 60.3 %Person County60.3Chatham County: 59.5 %Chatham County59.5Franklin County: 58.4 %Franklin County58.4Lincoln County: 57.1 %Lincoln County57.1Avery County: 54.6 %Avery County54.6Rowan County: 48.5 %Rowan County48.5Haywood County: 46.4 %Haywood County46.4Granville County: 46.2 %Granville County46.2Caldwell County: 42.7 %Caldwell County42.7Yancey County: 23.5 %Yancey County23.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties1995 (%)Change on 1994
1Alexander County100+32.3 pts
1Beaufort County1000 pts
1Cabarrus County100+1.9 pts
1Davie County100+19 pts
1Halifax County1000 pts
1Harnett County1000 pts
1Henderson County1000 pts
1New Hanover County100+34.6 pts
1Onslow County100+1.9 pts
1Pasquotank County100+2.2 pts
1Robeson County100n/a
1Watauga County1000 pts
1Wayne County1000 pts
1Wilson County1000 pts
15Gaston County98.9-0.5 pts
16McDowell County98.4-1.6 pts
17Catawba County98.3+0.1 pts
17Edgecombe County98.3-1.7 pts
19Davidson County96.7-1.7 pts
20Mitchell County96.6-3.4 pts
21Alamance County96.4-1.9 pts
22Orange County93.4+18 pts
23Buncombe County86-3.9 pts
24Macon County81.7-2.9 pts
25Swain County81.2n/a
26Carteret County76.8-5.8 pts
27Duplin County75.7+3.1 pts
28Cumberland County74.7+0.2 pts
29Rockingham County72.4+26.1 pts
30Guilford County70.70 pts
31Durham County68.5-1.6 pts
32Pitt County65.7-4.7 pts
33Martin County64.3n/a
34Forsyth County64.1+0.3 pts
34Mecklenburg County64.1-4.1 pts
36Caswell County63.8+8.6 pts
37Camden County61.3-1.1 pts
38Wake County61.1+2.7 pts
39Montgomery County60.8-10 pts
40Johnston County60.4+6.4 pts
41Northampton County60.3n/a
41Person County60.3n/a
43Chatham County59.5-22.8 pts
44Franklin County58.4+7.7 pts
45Lincoln County57.1+1.9 pts
46Avery County54.6-19.1 pts
47Rowan County48.5-4.4 pts
48Haywood County46.4-30.7 pts
49Granville County46.2-19.7 pts
50Caldwell County42.7n/a
51Yancey County23.5-25.3 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. 11 counties with data in other periods have no value for 1995 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 North Carolina by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 1995) [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 North Carolina by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 1995. 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/north-carolina-counties?period=1995. 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 North Carolina by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 1995. 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/north-carolina-counties?period=1995.

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 North Carolina by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 1995 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/north-carolina-counties?period=1995 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_north_carolina_1995,
  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 North Carolina by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 1995}},
  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/north-carolina-counties?period=1995. 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 North Carolina by share of days with good air quality (US EPA AQI), 1995
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/north-carolina-counties?period=1995
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/good-air-quality-days-share/north-carolina-counties?period=1995.
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 North Carolina 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)?

Alexander County, with 100% in 1995, according to EPA.

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

Yancey County, with 23.5% in 1995.

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. 11 counties have no value for 1995 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings