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

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

Harris County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 45 counties in 2022, at 60. Karnes County had the lowest, at 6. The median was 44. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest60Harris County
Lowest6Karnes County
Median4445 counties

Map of counties, 2022

Atascosa County: 44 indexBell County: 46 indexBexar County: 55 indexBowie County: 52 indexBrazoria County: 35 indexBrazos County: 40 indexBrewster County: 42 indexCameron County: 48 indexCollin County: 40 indexCulberson County: 41 indexDallas County: 52 indexDenton County: 47 indexEctor County: 37 indexEllis County: 38 indexEl Paso County: 59 indexGalveston County: 46 indexGregg County: 35 indexHarris County: 60 indexHarrison County: 51 indexHidalgo County: 49 indexHood County: 38 indexHunt County: 36 indexJefferson County: 48 indexJohnson County: 41 indexKarnes County: 6 indexKaufman County: 44 indexKleberg County: 47 indexLubbock County: 26 indexMcLennan County: 48 indexMaverick County: 36 indexMontgomery County: 51 indexNavarro County: 44 indexNueces County: 47 indexOrange County: 43 indexParker County: 40 indexPolk County: 32 indexPotter County: 31 indexRandall County: 44 indexRockwall County: 34 indexSmith County: 40 indexTarrant County: 54 indexTravis County: 51 indexVictoria County: 30 indexWebb County: 45 indexWilson County: 8 index
  • Under 35
  • 35 to 40
  • 40 to 44
  • 44 to 47
  • 47 to 51
  • 51 and over
  • No data
index, 2022. 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, 2022

Harris County: 60 indexHarris County60El Paso County: 59 indexEl Paso County59Bexar County: 55 indexBexar County55Tarrant County: 54 indexTarrant County54Bowie County: 52 indexBowie County52Dallas County: 52 indexDallas County52Harrison County: 51 indexHarrison County51Montgomery County: 51 indexMontgomery County51Travis County: 51 indexTravis County51Hidalgo County: 49 indexHidalgo County49Cameron County: 48 indexCameron County48Jefferson County: 48 indexJefferson County48McLennan County: 48 indexMcLennan County48Denton County: 47 indexDenton County47Kleberg County: 47 indexKleberg County47Nueces County: 47 indexNueces County47Bell County: 46 indexBell County46Galveston County: 46 indexGalveston County46Webb County: 45 indexWebb County45Atascosa County: 44 indexAtascosa County44Kaufman County: 44 indexKaufman County44Navarro County: 44 indexNavarro County44Randall County: 44 indexRandall County44Orange County: 43 indexOrange County43Brewster County: 42 indexBrewster County42Culberson County: 41 indexCulberson County41Johnson County: 41 indexJohnson County41Brazos County: 40 indexBrazos County40Collin County: 40 indexCollin County40Parker County: 40 indexParker County40Smith County: 40 indexSmith County40Ellis County: 38 indexEllis County38Hood County: 38 indexHood County38Ector County: 37 indexEctor County37Hunt County: 36 indexHunt County36Maverick County: 36 indexMaverick County36Brazoria County: 35 indexBrazoria County35Gregg County: 35 indexGregg County35Rockwall County: 34 indexRockwall County34Polk County: 32 indexPolk County32Potter County: 31 indexPotter County31Victoria County: 30 indexVictoria County30Lubbock County: 26 indexLubbock County26Wilson County: 8 indexWilson County8Karnes County: 6 indexKarnes County6Harris County: 60 indexHarris County60El Paso County: 59 indexEl Paso County59Bexar County: 55 indexBexar County55Tarrant County: 54 indexTarrant County54Bowie County: 52 indexBowie County52Dallas County: 52 indexDallas County52Harrison County: 51 indexHarrison County51Montgomery County: 51 indexMontgomery County51Travis County: 51 indexTravis County51Hidalgo County: 49 indexHidalgo County49Cameron County: 48 indexCameron County48Jefferson County: 48 indexJefferson County48McLennan County: 48 indexMcLennan County48Denton County: 47 indexDenton County47Kleberg County: 47 indexKleberg County47Nueces County: 47 indexNueces County47Bell County: 46 indexBell County46Galveston County: 46 indexGalveston County46Webb County: 45 indexWebb County45Atascosa County: 44 indexAtascosa County44Kaufman County: 44 indexKaufman County44Navarro County: 44 indexNavarro County44Randall County: 44 indexRandall County44Orange County: 43 indexOrange County43Brewster County: 42 indexBrewster County42Culberson County: 41 indexCulberson County41Johnson County: 41 indexJohnson County41Brazos County: 40 indexBrazos County40Collin County: 40 indexCollin County40Parker County: 40 indexParker County40Smith County: 40 indexSmith County40Ellis County: 38 indexEllis County38Hood County: 38 indexHood County38Ector County: 37 indexEctor County37Hunt County: 36 indexHunt County36Maverick County: 36 indexMaverick County36Brazoria County: 35 indexBrazoria County35Gregg County: 35 indexGregg County35Rockwall County: 34 indexRockwall County34Polk County: 32 indexPolk County32Potter County: 31 indexPotter County31Victoria County: 30 indexVictoria County30Lubbock County: 26 indexLubbock County26Wilson County: 8 indexWilson County8Karnes County: 6 indexKarnes County6
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022
index		Change on 2021
1Harris County60+2
2El Paso County590
3Bexar County550
4Tarrant County54+2
5Bowie County520
5Dallas County52+5
7Harrison County51+4
7Montgomery County51+4
7Travis County510
10Hidalgo County49-3
11Cameron County48-4
11Jefferson County48+4
11McLennan County48+9
14Denton County47+2
14Kleberg County47-1
14Nueces County470
17Bell County46+2
17Galveston County46+3
19Webb County45-3
20Atascosa County44+1
20Kaufman County44+4
20Navarro County44+3
20Randall County44+2
24Orange County43+2
25Brewster County420
26Culberson County41-2
26Johnson County41+4
28Brazos County400
28Collin County40+3
28Parker County40+4
28Smith County40+5
32Ellis County38-5
32Hood County38+3
34Ector County37+2
35Hunt County36+3
35Maverick County36-1
37Brazoria County35+1
37Gregg County35+2
39Rockwall County34+3
40Polk County32+2
41Potter County310
42Victoria County30-2
43Lubbock County26-5
44Wilson County8+1
45Karnes County60

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. 18 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2022 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 Texas by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2022) [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 Texas by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2022. 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/texas-counties?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Counties in Texas by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2022. 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/texas-counties?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI, Counties in Texas by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/texas-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_texas_by_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI: Counties in Texas by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2022}},
  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/texas-counties?period=2022. 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 Texas by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 2022
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/texas-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/texas-counties?period=2022.
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 Texas 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)?

Harris County, with 60 in 2022, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Karnes County, with 6 in 2022.

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. 18 counties have no value for 2022 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Texas: more rankings