Data / Rankings / Median Air Quality Index (US EPA) / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005

Jefferson County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 24 counties in 2005, at 77. Pike County had the lowest, at 19. The median was 49. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Highest77Jefferson County
Lowest19Pike County
Median4924 counties

Map of counties, 2005

Baldwin County: 49 indexBarbour County: 55 indexClay County: 49 indexColbert County: 49 indexDeKalb County: 44 indexElmore County: 42 indexEscambia County: 57 indexEtowah County: 50 indexHouston County: 47 indexJackson County: 28 indexJefferson County: 77 indexLawrence County: 47 indexMadison County: 46 indexMarengo County: 19 indexMobile County: 46 indexMontgomery County: 49 indexMorgan County: 51 indexPike County: 19 indexRussell County: 52 indexShelby County: 54 indexSumter County: 44 indexTalladega County: 44 indexTuscaloosa County: 50 indexWalker County: 58 index
  • Under 44
  • 44 to 47
  • 47 to 49
  • 49 to 53
  • 53 and over
  • No data
index, 2005. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2005

Jefferson County: 77 indexJefferson County77Walker County: 58 indexWalker County58Escambia County: 57 indexEscambia County57Barbour County: 55 indexBarbour County55Shelby County: 54 indexShelby County54Russell County: 52 indexRussell County52Morgan County: 51 indexMorgan County51Etowah County: 50 indexEtowah County50Tuscaloosa County: 50 indexTuscaloosa County50Baldwin County: 49 indexBaldwin County49Clay County: 49 indexClay County49Colbert County: 49 indexColbert County49Montgomery County: 49 indexMontgomery County49Houston County: 47 indexHouston County47Lawrence County: 47 indexLawrence County47Madison County: 46 indexMadison County46Mobile County: 46 indexMobile County46DeKalb County: 44 indexDeKalb County44Sumter County: 44 indexSumter County44Talladega County: 44 indexTalladega County44Elmore County: 42 indexElmore County42Jackson County: 28 indexJackson County28Marengo County: 19 indexMarengo County19Pike County: 19 indexPike County19Jefferson County: 77 indexJefferson County77Walker County: 58 indexWalker County58Escambia County: 57 indexEscambia County57Barbour County: 55 indexBarbour County55Shelby County: 54 indexShelby County54Russell County: 52 indexRussell County52Morgan County: 51 indexMorgan County51Etowah County: 50 indexEtowah County50Tuscaloosa County: 50 indexTuscaloosa County50Baldwin County: 49 indexBaldwin County49Clay County: 49 indexClay County49Colbert County: 49 indexColbert County49Montgomery County: 49 indexMontgomery County49Houston County: 47 indexHouston County47Lawrence County: 47 indexLawrence County47Madison County: 46 indexMadison County46Mobile County: 46 indexMobile County46DeKalb County: 44 indexDeKalb County44Sumter County: 44 indexSumter County44Talladega County: 44 indexTalladega County44Elmore County: 42 indexElmore County42Jackson County: 28 indexJackson County28Marengo County: 19 indexMarengo County19Pike County: 19 indexPike County19
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2005
index		Change on 2004
1Jefferson County77+6
2Walker County58+2
3Escambia County57+3
4Barbour County55+1
5Shelby County54+4
6Russell County52+3
7Morgan County51+1
8Etowah County500
8Tuscaloosa County50+6
10Baldwin County49+3
10Clay County49+2
10Colbert County49+4
10Montgomery County49+5
14Houston County47-10
14Lawrence County47+2
16Madison County46+2
16Mobile County46+2
18DeKalb County440
18Sumter County44+2
18Talladega County44-1
21Elmore County420
22Jackson County28-12
23Marengo County19+2
23Pike County19+1

Other periods

About this ranking

Median of the daily Air Quality Index (AQI) values of a US county over the days of the year with an AQI, from the EPA AirData annual summaries.

More on how it is measured
  • The daily county AQI is the highest AQI among the monitors and pollutants reported that day (ozone, PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide).
  • Lower is cleaner: 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 moderate and above 100 unhealthy for sensitive groups.

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. 7 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2005 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: median daily AQI. 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: median daily AQI (Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005) [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: median daily AQI, Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 July 2026, https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/alabama-counties. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/alabama-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI, Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/alabama-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_alabama_by_2005,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI: Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005}},
  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/median-air-quality-index/alabama-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. 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: median daily AQI: Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2005
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/median-air-quality-index/alabama-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/alabama-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Alabama by median Air Quality Index (US EPA) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"aqi_median","level":"province","within":"Alabama","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA)?

Jefferson County, with 77 in 2005, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Which county has the lowest median Air Quality Index (US EPA)?

Pike County, with 19 in 2005.

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: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 7 counties have no value for 2005 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings