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

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

Rockbridge County had the highest median Air Quality Index (US EPA) of 45 counties in 1994, at 58. Newport News city had the lowest, at 11. The median was 38. Source: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest58Rockbridge County
Lowest11Newport News city
Median3845 counties

Map of counties, 1994

Arlington County: 45 indexAugusta County: 48 indexCampbell County: 15 indexCaroline County: 37 indexCarroll County: 19 indexCharles City County: 40 indexChesterfield County: 45 indexCulpeper County: 16 indexFairfax County: 49 indexFauquier County: 47 indexFrederick County: 46 indexGiles County: 45 indexHanover County: 50 indexHenrico County: 44 indexHenry County: 43 indexIsle of Wight County: 16 indexKing William County: 16 indexLoudoun County: 13 indexMadison County: 46 indexNorthumberland County: 16 indexPrince Edward County: 40 indexPrince William County: 39 indexRoanoke County: 40 indexRockbridge County: 58 indexSmyth County: 19 indexStafford County: 48 indexWarren County: 47 indexWise County: 19 indexWythe County: 47 indexYork County: 17 indexAlexandria city: 46 indexBristol city: 22 indexCharlottesville city: 19 indexChesapeake city: 18 indexCovington city: 22 indexFredericksburg city: 15 indexHampton city: 44 indexLynchburg city: 21 indexMartinsville city: 19 indexNewport News city: 11 indexNorfolk city: 35 indexRichmond city: 38 indexRoanoke city: 17 indexSuffolk city: 45 indexWinchester city: 18 index
  • Under 16
  • 16 to 19
  • 19 to 38
  • 38 to 44
  • 44 to 47
  • 47 and over
  • No data
index, 1994. 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, 1994

Rockbridge County: 58 indexRockbridge County58Hanover County: 50 indexHanover County50Fairfax County: 49 indexFairfax County49Augusta County: 48 indexAugusta County48Stafford County: 48 indexStafford County48Fauquier County: 47 indexFauquier County47Warren County: 47 indexWarren County47Wythe County: 47 indexWythe County47Alexandria city: 46 indexAlexandria city46Frederick County: 46 indexFrederick County46Madison County: 46 indexMadison County46Arlington County: 45 indexArlington County45Chesterfield County: 45 indexChesterfield County45Giles County: 45 indexGiles County45Suffolk city: 45 indexSuffolk city45Hampton city: 44 indexHampton city44Henrico County: 44 indexHenrico County44Henry County: 43 indexHenry County43Charles City County: 40 indexCharles City County40Prince Edward County: 40 indexPrince Edward County40Roanoke County: 40 indexRoanoke County40Prince William County: 39 indexPrince William County39Richmond city: 38 indexRichmond city38Caroline County: 37 indexCaroline County37Norfolk city: 35 indexNorfolk city35Bristol city: 22 indexBristol city22Covington city: 22 indexCovington city22Lynchburg city: 21 indexLynchburg city21Carroll County: 19 indexCarroll County19Charlottesville city: 19 indexCharlottesville city19Martinsville city: 19 indexMartinsville city19Smyth County: 19 indexSmyth County19Wise County: 19 indexWise County19Chesapeake city: 18 indexChesapeake city18Winchester city: 18 indexWinchester city18Roanoke city: 17 indexRoanoke city17York County: 17 indexYork County17Culpeper County: 16 indexCulpeper County16Isle of Wight County: 16 indexIsle of Wight County16King William County: 16 indexKing William County16Northumberland County: 16 indexNorthumberland County16Campbell County: 15 indexCampbell County15Fredericksburg city: 15 indexFredericksburg city15Loudoun County: 13 indexLoudoun County13Newport News city: 11 indexNewport News city11Rockbridge County: 58 indexRockbridge County58Hanover County: 50 indexHanover County50Fairfax County: 49 indexFairfax County49Augusta County: 48 indexAugusta County48Stafford County: 48 indexStafford County48Fauquier County: 47 indexFauquier County47Warren County: 47 indexWarren County47Wythe County: 47 indexWythe County47Alexandria city: 46 indexAlexandria city46Frederick County: 46 indexFrederick County46Madison County: 46 indexMadison County46Arlington County: 45 indexArlington County45Chesterfield County: 45 indexChesterfield County45Giles County: 45 indexGiles County45Suffolk city: 45 indexSuffolk city45Hampton city: 44 indexHampton city44Henrico County: 44 indexHenrico County44Henry County: 43 indexHenry County43Charles City County: 40 indexCharles City County40Prince Edward County: 40 indexPrince Edward County40Roanoke County: 40 indexRoanoke County40Prince William County: 39 indexPrince William County39Richmond city: 38 indexRichmond city38Caroline County: 37 indexCaroline County37Norfolk city: 35 indexNorfolk city35Bristol city: 22 indexBristol city22Covington city: 22 indexCovington city22Lynchburg city: 21 indexLynchburg city21Carroll County: 19 indexCarroll County19Charlottesville city: 19 indexCharlottesville city19Martinsville city: 19 indexMartinsville city19Smyth County: 19 indexSmyth County19Wise County: 19 indexWise County19Chesapeake city: 18 indexChesapeake city18Winchester city: 18 indexWinchester city18Roanoke city: 17 indexRoanoke city17York County: 17 indexYork County17Culpeper County: 16 indexCulpeper County16Isle of Wight County: 16 indexIsle of Wight County16King William County: 16 indexKing William County16Northumberland County: 16 indexNorthumberland County16Campbell County: 15 indexCampbell County15Fredericksburg city: 15 indexFredericksburg city15Loudoun County: 13 indexLoudoun County13Newport News city: 11 indexNewport News city11
index. Source: EPA, EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties1994
index		Change on 1993
1Rockbridge County58n/a
2Hanover County50-17
3Fairfax County49-3
4Augusta County48+1
4Stafford County480
6Fauquier County47-3
6Warren County47+3
6Wythe County47-20
9Alexandria city46-1
9Frederick County460
9Madison County460
12Arlington County45-2
12Chesterfield County45-6
12Giles County45-4
12Suffolk city45-9
16Hampton city44-4
16Henrico County44-5
18Henry County43n/a
19Charles City County40-6
19Prince Edward County40-1
19Roanoke County400
22Prince William County39-9
23Richmond city38-1
24Caroline County37-7
25Norfolk city35-3
26Bristol city22+1
26Covington city22-4
28Lynchburg city21-1
29Carroll County19-1
29Charlottesville city19-1
29Martinsville city19-1
29Smyth County190
29Wise County19n/a
34Chesapeake city18-1
34Winchester city18-1
36Roanoke city17+2
36York County17-2
38Culpeper County16-1
38Isle of Wight County16-5
38King William County16-2
38Northumberland County160
42Campbell County15-2
42Fredericksburg city15-2
44Loudoun County13-1
45Newport News city110

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. 15 counties with data in other periods have no value for 1994 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 Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1994) [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 Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1994. 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/virginia-counties?period=1994. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI. Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1994. 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/virginia-counties?period=1994.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI, Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1994 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1994 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_virginia_by_1994,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: median daily AQI: Counties in Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1994}},
  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/virginia-counties?period=1994. 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 Virginia by median Air Quality Index (US EPA), 1994
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/virginia-counties?period=1994
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/median-air-quality-index/virginia-counties?period=1994.
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 Virginia 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)?

Rockbridge County, with 58 in 1994, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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

Newport News city, with 11 in 1994.

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. 15 counties have no value for 1994 and are not ranked.

Median Air Quality Index (US EPA): other rankings

Counties in Virginia: more rankings