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

Counties in New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA)

Bronx County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 36 counties in 2003, at 59. Franklin County had the lowest, at 9. The median was 38. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Highest59Bronx County
Lowest9Franklin County
Median3836 counties

Map of counties, 2003

Albany County: 36 indexBronx County: 59 indexBroome County: 52 indexChautauqua County: 40 indexChemung County: 32 indexColumbia County: 11 indexDutchess County: 35 indexErie County: 44 indexEssex County: 44 indexFranklin County: 9 indexHamilton County: 37 indexHerkimer County: 35 indexJefferson County: 41 indexKings County: 19 indexMadison County: 37 indexMonroe County: 35 indexNassau County: 38 indexNew York County: 49 indexNiagara County: 36 indexOneida County: 40 indexOnondaga County: 32 indexOrange County: 44 indexOswego County: 44 indexPutnam County: 41 indexQueens County: 56 indexRensselaer County: 38 indexRichmond County: 43 indexSt. Lawrence County: 32 indexSaratoga County: 41 indexSchenectady County: 31 indexSteuben County: 44 indexSuffolk County: 41 indexTompkins County: 38 indexUlster County: 39 indexWayne County: 37 indexWestchester County: 36 index
  • Under 32
  • 32 to 36
  • 36 to 38
  • 38 to 41
  • 41 to 44
  • 44 and over
  • No data
index, 2003. 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, 2003

Bronx County: 59 indexBronx County59Queens County: 56 indexQueens County56Broome County: 52 indexBroome County52New York County: 49 indexNew York County49Erie County: 44 indexErie County44Essex County: 44 indexEssex County44Orange County: 44 indexOrange County44Oswego County: 44 indexOswego County44Steuben County: 44 indexSteuben County44Richmond County: 43 indexRichmond County43Jefferson County: 41 indexJefferson County41Putnam County: 41 indexPutnam County41Saratoga County: 41 indexSaratoga County41Suffolk County: 41 indexSuffolk County41Chautauqua County: 40 indexChautauqua County40Oneida County: 40 indexOneida County40Ulster County: 39 indexUlster County39Nassau County: 38 indexNassau County38Rensselaer County: 38 indexRensselaer County38Tompkins County: 38 indexTompkins County38Hamilton County: 37 indexHamilton County37Madison County: 37 indexMadison County37Wayne County: 37 indexWayne County37Albany County: 36 indexAlbany County36Niagara County: 36 indexNiagara County36Westchester County: 36 indexWestchester County36Dutchess County: 35 indexDutchess County35Herkimer County: 35 indexHerkimer County35Monroe County: 35 indexMonroe County35Chemung County: 32 indexChemung County32Onondaga County: 32 indexOnondaga County32St. Lawrence County: 32 indexSt. Lawrence County32Schenectady County: 31 indexSchenectady County31Kings County: 19 indexKings County19Columbia County: 11 indexColumbia County11Franklin County: 9 indexFranklin County9Bronx County: 59 indexBronx County59Queens County: 56 indexQueens County56Broome County: 52 indexBroome County52New York County: 49 indexNew York County49Erie County: 44 indexErie County44Essex County: 44 indexEssex County44Orange County: 44 indexOrange County44Oswego County: 44 indexOswego County44Steuben County: 44 indexSteuben County44Richmond County: 43 indexRichmond County43Jefferson County: 41 indexJefferson County41Putnam County: 41 indexPutnam County41Saratoga County: 41 indexSaratoga County41Suffolk County: 41 indexSuffolk County41Chautauqua County: 40 indexChautauqua County40Oneida County: 40 indexOneida County40Ulster County: 39 indexUlster County39Nassau County: 38 indexNassau County38Rensselaer County: 38 indexRensselaer County38Tompkins County: 38 indexTompkins County38Hamilton County: 37 indexHamilton County37Madison County: 37 indexMadison County37Wayne County: 37 indexWayne County37Albany County: 36 indexAlbany County36Niagara County: 36 indexNiagara County36Westchester County: 36 indexWestchester County36Dutchess County: 35 indexDutchess County35Herkimer County: 35 indexHerkimer County35Monroe County: 35 indexMonroe County35Chemung County: 32 indexChemung County32Onondaga County: 32 indexOnondaga County32St. Lawrence County: 32 indexSt. Lawrence County32Schenectady County: 31 indexSchenectady County31Kings County: 19 indexKings County19Columbia County: 11 indexColumbia County11Franklin County: 9 indexFranklin County9
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2003
index		Change on 2002
1Bronx County59+1
2Queens County56+1
3Broome County520
4New York County49-2
5Erie County44-2
5Essex County44+1
5Orange County440
5Oswego County44+16
5Steuben County44-2
10Richmond County43-8
11Jefferson County41-4
11Putnam County41-4
11Saratoga County41+6
11Suffolk County41-2
15Chautauqua County40-1
15Oneida County40-1
17Ulster County39+1
18Nassau County38-1
18Rensselaer County38+2
18Tompkins County380
21Hamilton County37+2
21Madison County370
21Wayne County37+3
24Albany County360
24Niagara County36-4
24Westchester County36-2
27Dutchess County35-4
27Herkimer County350
27Monroe County35-2
30Chemung County32-4
30Onondaga County32-5
30St. Lawrence County32-5
33Schenectady County31-3
34Kings County190
35Columbia County11-1
36Franklin County90

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. 3 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2003 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 New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003) [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 New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003. 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/new-york-counties?period=2003. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Counties in New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003. 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/new-york-counties?period=2003.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI, Counties in New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/new-york-counties?period=2003 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_new_york_2003,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI: Counties in New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003}},
  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/new-york-counties?period=2003. 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 New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003
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/new-york-counties?period=2003
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/new-york-counties?period=2003.
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 New York by median Air Quality Index (US EPA) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

Bronx County, with 59 in 2003, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Franklin County, with 9 in 2003.

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. 3 counties have no value for 2003 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in New York: more rankings