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

Counties in Tennessee by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2003

Shelby County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 30 counties in 2003, at 65. Bradley County had the lowest, at 22. The median was 47. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Highest65Shelby County
Lowest22Bradley County
Median4730 counties

Map of counties, 2003

Anderson County: 42 indexBlount County: 51 indexBradley County: 22 indexClaiborne County: 37 indexDavidson County: 61 indexDeKalb County: 38 indexDyer County: 55 indexHamilton County: 55 indexHaywood County: 44 indexHumphreys County: 38 indexJefferson County: 44 indexKnox County: 62 indexLawrence County: 49 indexLoudon County: 61 indexMcMinn County: 24 indexMadison County: 28 indexMaury County: 55 indexMeigs County: 44 indexMontgomery County: 53 indexObion County: 43 indexPutnam County: 54 indexRoane County: 57 indexRutherford County: 46 indexSevier County: 49 indexShelby County: 65 indexSullivan County: 46 indexSumner County: 54 indexUnion County: 31 indexWilliamson County: 48 indexWilson County: 46 index
  • Under 38
  • 38 to 44
  • 44 to 47
  • 47 to 53
  • 53 to 55
  • 55 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

Shelby County: 65 indexShelby County65Knox County: 62 indexKnox County62Davidson County: 61 indexDavidson County61Loudon County: 61 indexLoudon County61Roane County: 57 indexRoane County57Dyer County: 55 indexDyer County55Hamilton County: 55 indexHamilton County55Maury County: 55 indexMaury County55Putnam County: 54 indexPutnam County54Sumner County: 54 indexSumner County54Montgomery County: 53 indexMontgomery County53Blount County: 51 indexBlount County51Lawrence County: 49 indexLawrence County49Sevier County: 49 indexSevier County49Williamson County: 48 indexWilliamson County48Rutherford County: 46 indexRutherford County46Sullivan County: 46 indexSullivan County46Wilson County: 46 indexWilson County46Haywood County: 44 indexHaywood County44Jefferson County: 44 indexJefferson County44Meigs County: 44 indexMeigs County44Obion County: 43 indexObion County43Anderson County: 42 indexAnderson County42DeKalb County: 38 indexDeKalb County38Humphreys County: 38 indexHumphreys County38Claiborne County: 37 indexClaiborne County37Union County: 31 indexUnion County31Madison County: 28 indexMadison County28McMinn County: 24 indexMcMinn County24Bradley County: 22 indexBradley County22Shelby County: 65 indexShelby County65Knox County: 62 indexKnox County62Davidson County: 61 indexDavidson County61Loudon County: 61 indexLoudon County61Roane County: 57 indexRoane County57Dyer County: 55 indexDyer County55Hamilton County: 55 indexHamilton County55Maury County: 55 indexMaury County55Putnam County: 54 indexPutnam County54Sumner County: 54 indexSumner County54Montgomery County: 53 indexMontgomery County53Blount County: 51 indexBlount County51Lawrence County: 49 indexLawrence County49Sevier County: 49 indexSevier County49Williamson County: 48 indexWilliamson County48Rutherford County: 46 indexRutherford County46Sullivan County: 46 indexSullivan County46Wilson County: 46 indexWilson County46Haywood County: 44 indexHaywood County44Jefferson County: 44 indexJefferson County44Meigs County: 44 indexMeigs County44Obion County: 43 indexObion County43Anderson County: 42 indexAnderson County42DeKalb County: 38 indexDeKalb County38Humphreys County: 38 indexHumphreys County38Claiborne County: 37 indexClaiborne County37Union County: 31 indexUnion County31Madison County: 28 indexMadison County28McMinn County: 24 indexMcMinn County24Bradley County: 22 indexBradley County22
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2003
index		Change on 2002
1Shelby County65+6
2Knox County62-2
3Davidson County61+1
3Loudon County61n/a
5Roane County570
6Dyer County55+3
6Hamilton County55-4
6Maury County55+2
9Putnam County540
9Sumner County540
11Montgomery County530
12Blount County510
13Lawrence County49+1
13Sevier County49-2
15Williamson County48+1
16Rutherford County460
16Sullivan County46-3
16Wilson County460
19Haywood County44+6
19Jefferson County44-4
19Meigs County44-2
22Obion County43n/a
23Anderson County42-7
24DeKalb County380
24Humphreys County38n/a
26Claiborne County37-3
27Union County31+4
28Madison County28-25
29McMinn County24-2
30Bradley County22-4

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. 12 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI, Counties in Tennessee 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/tennessee-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_tennessee_by_2003,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI: Counties in Tennessee 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/tennessee-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 Tennessee 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/tennessee-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/tennessee-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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Questions

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

Shelby County, with 65 in 2003, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Bradley County, with 22 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. 12 counties have no value for 2003 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Tennessee: more rankings