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

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

Knox County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 30 counties in 2001, at 68. Greene County had the lowest, at 22. The median was 50. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest68Knox County
Lowest22Greene County
Median5030 counties

Map of counties, 2001

Anderson County: 48 indexBlount County: 52 indexBradley County: 25 indexClaiborne County: 43 indexDavidson County: 63 indexDeKalb County: 40 indexDyer County: 49 indexGreene County: 22 indexHamblen County: 48 indexHamilton County: 57 indexHaywood County: 46 indexJefferson County: 48 indexKnox County: 68 indexLawrence County: 50 indexMcMinn County: 27 indexMadison County: 57 indexMaury County: 58 indexMeigs County: 50 indexMontgomery County: 48 indexObion County: 51 indexPutnam County: 54 indexRoane County: 59 indexRutherford County: 46 indexSevier County: 61 indexShelby County: 63 indexSullivan County: 50 indexSumner County: 55 indexUnion County: 29 indexWilliamson County: 48 indexWilson County: 46 index
  • Under 43
  • 43 to 48
  • 48 to 50
  • 50 to 53
  • 53 to 58
  • 58 and over
  • No data
index, 2001. 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, 2001

Knox County: 68 indexKnox County68Davidson County: 63 indexDavidson County63Shelby County: 63 indexShelby County63Sevier County: 61 indexSevier County61Roane County: 59 indexRoane County59Maury County: 58 indexMaury County58Hamilton County: 57 indexHamilton County57Madison County: 57 indexMadison County57Sumner County: 55 indexSumner County55Putnam County: 54 indexPutnam County54Blount County: 52 indexBlount County52Obion County: 51 indexObion County51Lawrence County: 50 indexLawrence County50Meigs County: 50 indexMeigs County50Sullivan County: 50 indexSullivan County50Dyer County: 49 indexDyer County49Anderson County: 48 indexAnderson County48Hamblen County: 48 indexHamblen County48Jefferson County: 48 indexJefferson County48Montgomery County: 48 indexMontgomery County48Williamson County: 48 indexWilliamson County48Haywood County: 46 indexHaywood County46Rutherford County: 46 indexRutherford County46Wilson County: 46 indexWilson County46Claiborne County: 43 indexClaiborne County43DeKalb County: 40 indexDeKalb County40Union County: 29 indexUnion County29McMinn County: 27 indexMcMinn County27Bradley County: 25 indexBradley County25Greene County: 22 indexGreene County22Knox County: 68 indexKnox County68Davidson County: 63 indexDavidson County63Shelby County: 63 indexShelby County63Sevier County: 61 indexSevier County61Roane County: 59 indexRoane County59Maury County: 58 indexMaury County58Hamilton County: 57 indexHamilton County57Madison County: 57 indexMadison County57Sumner County: 55 indexSumner County55Putnam County: 54 indexPutnam County54Blount County: 52 indexBlount County52Obion County: 51 indexObion County51Lawrence County: 50 indexLawrence County50Meigs County: 50 indexMeigs County50Sullivan County: 50 indexSullivan County50Dyer County: 49 indexDyer County49Anderson County: 48 indexAnderson County48Hamblen County: 48 indexHamblen County48Jefferson County: 48 indexJefferson County48Montgomery County: 48 indexMontgomery County48Williamson County: 48 indexWilliamson County48Haywood County: 46 indexHaywood County46Rutherford County: 46 indexRutherford County46Wilson County: 46 indexWilson County46Claiborne County: 43 indexClaiborne County43DeKalb County: 40 indexDeKalb County40Union County: 29 indexUnion County29McMinn County: 27 indexMcMinn County27Bradley County: 25 indexBradley County25Greene County: 22 indexGreene County22
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2001
index		Change on 2000
1Knox County68-1
2Davidson County63-2
2Shelby County63-4
4Sevier County61-6
5Roane County59+7
6Maury County58-3
7Hamilton County57-4
7Madison County57-1
9Sumner County55-6
10Putnam County54-10
11Blount County52-9
12Obion County51n/a
13Lawrence County50-6
13Meigs County50-8
13Sullivan County50+2
16Dyer County49-9
17Anderson County48-2
17Hamblen County48n/a
17Jefferson County48+1
17Montgomery County48-6
17Williamson County48-6
22Haywood County46-5
22Rutherford County46-2
22Wilson County46-5
25Claiborne County43-1
26DeKalb County40-2
27Union County29+3
28McMinn County27-3
29Bradley County250
30Greene County22-5

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 2001 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), 2001) [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), 2001. 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=2001. 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), 2001. 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=2001.

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), 2001 [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=2001 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_tennessee_by_2001,
  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), 2001}},
  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=2001. 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), 2001
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=2001
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/tennessee-counties?period=2001.
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)?

Knox County, with 68 in 2001, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Greene County, with 22 in 2001.

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 2001 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Tennessee: more rankings