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

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

Jefferson County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 33 counties in 1995, at 84. Benton County had the lowest, at 19. The median was 42. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest84Jefferson County
Lowest19Benton County
Median4233 counties

Map of counties, 1995

Anderson County: 58 indexBenton County: 19 indexBlount County: 50 indexBradley County: 26 indexClaiborne County: 47 indexCoffee County: 42 indexDavidson County: 44 indexDeKalb County: 46 indexDickson County: 44 indexDyer County: 46 indexGiles County: 21 indexHamblen County: 26 indexHamilton County: 40 indexHaywood County: 50 indexHenry County: 27 indexJefferson County: 84 indexKnox County: 37 indexLoudon County: 21 indexMcMinn County: 23 indexMadison County: 34 indexMaury County: 26 indexMontgomery County: 20 indexPutnam County: 34 indexRoane County: 27 indexRutherford County: 42 indexSevier County: 74 indexShelby County: 48 indexSullivan County: 44 indexSumner County: 64 indexUnion County: 31 indexWashington County: 22 indexWilliamson County: 51 indexWilson County: 50 index
  • Under 24
  • 24 to 30
  • 30 to 42
  • 42 to 46
  • 46 to 50
  • 50 and over
  • No data
index, 1995. 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, 1995

Jefferson County: 84 indexJefferson County84Sevier County: 74 indexSevier County74Sumner County: 64 indexSumner County64Anderson County: 58 indexAnderson County58Williamson County: 51 indexWilliamson County51Blount County: 50 indexBlount County50Haywood County: 50 indexHaywood County50Wilson County: 50 indexWilson County50Shelby County: 48 indexShelby County48Claiborne County: 47 indexClaiborne County47DeKalb County: 46 indexDeKalb County46Dyer County: 46 indexDyer County46Davidson County: 44 indexDavidson County44Dickson County: 44 indexDickson County44Sullivan County: 44 indexSullivan County44Coffee County: 42 indexCoffee County42Rutherford County: 42 indexRutherford County42Hamilton County: 40 indexHamilton County40Knox County: 37 indexKnox County37Madison County: 34 indexMadison County34Putnam County: 34 indexPutnam County34Union County: 31 indexUnion County31Henry County: 27 indexHenry County27Roane County: 27 indexRoane County27Bradley County: 26 indexBradley County26Hamblen County: 26 indexHamblen County26Maury County: 26 indexMaury County26McMinn County: 23 indexMcMinn County23Washington County: 22 indexWashington County22Giles County: 21 indexGiles County21Loudon County: 21 indexLoudon County21Montgomery County: 20 indexMontgomery County20Benton County: 19 indexBenton County19Jefferson County: 84 indexJefferson County84Sevier County: 74 indexSevier County74Sumner County: 64 indexSumner County64Anderson County: 58 indexAnderson County58Williamson County: 51 indexWilliamson County51Blount County: 50 indexBlount County50Haywood County: 50 indexHaywood County50Wilson County: 50 indexWilson County50Shelby County: 48 indexShelby County48Claiborne County: 47 indexClaiborne County47DeKalb County: 46 indexDeKalb County46Dyer County: 46 indexDyer County46Davidson County: 44 indexDavidson County44Dickson County: 44 indexDickson County44Sullivan County: 44 indexSullivan County44Coffee County: 42 indexCoffee County42Rutherford County: 42 indexRutherford County42Hamilton County: 40 indexHamilton County40Knox County: 37 indexKnox County37Madison County: 34 indexMadison County34Putnam County: 34 indexPutnam County34Union County: 31 indexUnion County31Henry County: 27 indexHenry County27Roane County: 27 indexRoane County27Bradley County: 26 indexBradley County26Hamblen County: 26 indexHamblen County26Maury County: 26 indexMaury County26McMinn County: 23 indexMcMinn County23Washington County: 22 indexWashington County22Giles County: 21 indexGiles County21Loudon County: 21 indexLoudon County21Montgomery County: 20 indexMontgomery County20Benton County: 19 indexBenton County19
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties1995
index		Change on 1994
1Jefferson County84+34
2Sevier County74+24
3Sumner County64+10
4Anderson County58+9
5Williamson County51+9
6Blount County50+3
6Haywood County50+5
6Wilson County50+5
9Shelby County48+1
10Claiborne County47+4
11DeKalb County46+5
11Dyer County46n/a
13Davidson County44-2
13Dickson County44-2
13Sullivan County44+3
16Coffee County42n/a
16Rutherford County42-3
18Hamilton County40+1
19Knox County37-2
20Madison County34-8
20Putnam County34n/a
22Union County31+1
23Henry County27n/a
23Roane County27+4
25Bradley County26-14
25Hamblen County26-13
25Maury County26-14
28McMinn County23-2
29Washington County22-3
30Giles County21+3
30Loudon County21n/a
32Montgomery County20+1
33Benton County19n/a

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. 9 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: 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), 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: median daily AQI, Counties in Tennessee by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1995. 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?period=1995. 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), 1995. 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?period=1995.

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), 1995 [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?period=1995 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_tennessee_by_1995,
  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), 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/median-air-quality-index/tennessee-counties?period=1995. 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), 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/median-air-quality-index/tennessee-counties?period=1995
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/tennessee-counties?period=1995.
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 Tennessee 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)?

Jefferson County, with 84 in 1995, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Benton County, with 19 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: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 9 counties have no value for 1995 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Tennessee: more rankings