Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI)

Oldham County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 38 counties in 1999, at 40.8%. Whitley County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 15.7%. Source: EPA.

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Highest40.8Oldham County
Median15.738 counties

Map of counties, 1999

Bell County: 8 %Boone County: 15.4 %Boyd County: 10.7 %Bullitt County: 16 %Campbell County: 9.9 %Carter County: 21.2 %Christian County: 20.1 %Daviess County: 13.4 %Edmonson County: 19.4 %Fayette County: 16.4 %Floyd County: 0 %Franklin County: 0 %Graves County: 23.8 %Greenup County: 17.8 %Hancock County: 22.4 %Hardin County: 20 %Harlan County: 0 %Henderson County: 11.5 %Jefferson County: 21.1 %Jessamine County: 16.6 %Kenton County: 9.9 %Lawrence County: 0 %Livingston County: 24.8 %McCracken County: 9.9 %McLean County: 23.2 %Madison County: 0 %Marshall County: 0 %Morgan County: 14.9 %Oldham County: 40.8 %Perry County: 3.5 %Pike County: 13.2 %Pulaski County: 25.1 %Scott County: 18.7 %Simpson County: 18.8 %Trigg County: 17.7 %Warren County: 3.5 %Washington County: 17.9 %Whitley County: 0 %
  • Under 0.6
  • 0.6 to 10
  • 10 to 16
  • 16 to 18
  • 18 to 21
  • 21 and over
  • No data
%, 1999. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 1999

Oldham County: 40.8 %Oldham County40.8Pulaski County: 25.1 %Pulaski County25.1Livingston County: 24.8 %Livingston County24.8Graves County: 23.8 %Graves County23.8McLean County: 23.2 %McLean County23.2Hancock County: 22.4 %Hancock County22.4Carter County: 21.2 %Carter County21.2Jefferson County: 21.1 %Jefferson County21.1Christian County: 20.1 %Christian County20.1Hardin County: 20 %Hardin County20Edmonson County: 19.4 %Edmonson County19.4Simpson County: 18.8 %Simpson County18.8Scott County: 18.7 %Scott County18.7Washington County: 17.9 %Washington County17.9Greenup County: 17.8 %Greenup County17.8Trigg County: 17.7 %Trigg County17.7Jessamine County: 16.6 %Jessamine County16.6Fayette County: 16.4 %Fayette County16.4Bullitt County: 16 %Bullitt County16Boone County: 15.4 %Boone County15.4Morgan County: 14.9 %Morgan County14.9Daviess County: 13.4 %Daviess County13.4Pike County: 13.2 %Pike County13.2Henderson County: 11.5 %Henderson County11.5Boyd County: 10.7 %Boyd County10.7Campbell County: 9.9 %Campbell County9.9Kenton County: 9.9 %Kenton County9.9McCracken County: 9.9 %McCracken County9.9Bell County: 8 %Bell County8Perry County: 3.5 %Perry County3.5Warren County: 3.5 %Warren County3.5Floyd County: 0 %Floyd County0Franklin County: 0 %Franklin County0Harlan County: 0 %Harlan County0Lawrence County: 0 %Lawrence County0Madison County: 0 %Madison County0Marshall County: 0 %Marshall County0Whitley County: 0 %Whitley County0Oldham County: 40.8 %Oldham County40.8Pulaski County: 25.1 %Pulaski County25.1Livingston County: 24.8 %Livingston County24.8Graves County: 23.8 %Graves County23.8McLean County: 23.2 %McLean County23.2Hancock County: 22.4 %Hancock County22.4Carter County: 21.2 %Carter County21.2Jefferson County: 21.1 %Jefferson County21.1Christian County: 20.1 %Christian County20.1Hardin County: 20 %Hardin County20Edmonson County: 19.4 %Edmonson County19.4Simpson County: 18.8 %Simpson County18.8Scott County: 18.7 %Scott County18.7Washington County: 17.9 %Washington County17.9Greenup County: 17.8 %Greenup County17.8Trigg County: 17.7 %Trigg County17.7Jessamine County: 16.6 %Jessamine County16.6Fayette County: 16.4 %Fayette County16.4Bullitt County: 16 %Bullitt County16Boone County: 15.4 %Boone County15.4Morgan County: 14.9 %Morgan County14.9Daviess County: 13.4 %Daviess County13.4Pike County: 13.2 %Pike County13.2Henderson County: 11.5 %Henderson County11.5Boyd County: 10.7 %Boyd County10.7Campbell County: 9.9 %Campbell County9.9Kenton County: 9.9 %Kenton County9.9McCracken County: 9.9 %McCracken County9.9Bell County: 8 %Bell County8Perry County: 3.5 %Perry County3.5Warren County: 3.5 %Warren County3.5Floyd County: 0 %Floyd County0Franklin County: 0 %Franklin County0Harlan County: 0 %Harlan County0Lawrence County: 0 %Lawrence County0Madison County: 0 %Madison County0Marshall County: 0 %Marshall County0Whitley County: 0 %Whitley County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties1999 (%)Change on 1998
1Oldham County40.8+23.4 pts
2Pulaski County25.1+8.9 pts
3Livingston County24.8+1.5 pts
4Graves County23.8+7.5 pts
5McLean County23.2+7.5 pts
6Hancock County22.4-0.5 pts
7Carter County21.2-2.8 pts
8Jefferson County21.1+6 pts
9Christian County20.1+3.7 pts
10Hardin County20+11.6 pts
11Edmonson County19.4+5.9 pts
12Simpson County18.8+6.2 pts
13Scott County18.7+7.9 pts
14Washington County17.9+0.3 pts
15Greenup County17.8-1.7 pts
16Trigg County17.7+4 pts
17Jessamine County16.6+2.5 pts
18Fayette County16.4+10.1 pts
19Bullitt County16+5 pts
20Boone County15.4+3.4 pts
21Morgan County14.9+1.4 pts
22Daviess County13.4+5.2 pts
23Pike County13.2+3.4 pts
24Henderson County11.5+6 pts
25Boyd County10.7+6.6 pts
26Campbell County9.9+1 pts
26Kenton County9.90 pts
26McCracken County9.9-2.7 pts
29Bell County8+3.1 pts
30Perry County3.5+1 pts
30Warren County3.5+3.5 pts
32Floyd County00 pts
32Franklin County0n/a
32Harlan County00 pts
32Lawrence County0-10.4 pts
32Madison County00 pts
32Marshall County00 pts
32Whitley County00 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Days with a daily Air Quality Index above 100 (unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy or hazardous) as a percentage of the days of the year with an AQI in a US county. Calculated by Invokely from the day counts in the EPA AirData annual summaries; the counts are stored with each value.

Use the share rather than the number of days to compare counties, since the days with an AQI differ. 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. 17 counties with data in other periods have no value for 1999 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: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. 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: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts (Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999) [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: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts, Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 July 2026, https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/kentucky-counties?period=1999. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2026. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/kentucky-counties?period=1999.

Harvard

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2026) EPA AirData annual AQI by county: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts, Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/kentucky-counties?period=1999 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_kentucky_by_1999,
  author = {{U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}},
  title = {{EPA AirData annual AQI by county: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts: Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999}},
  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/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/kentucky-counties?period=1999. Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. 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: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts: Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999
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/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/kentucky-counties?period=1999
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/kentucky-counties?period=1999.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System, AirData. EPA AirData annual AQI by county: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Kentucky by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI)?

Oldham County, with 40.8% in 1999, according to EPA.

Which county has the lowest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI)?

Whitley County, with 0% in 1999.

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: days with an AQI above 100 as a share of days with an AQI, calculated with stored counts. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 17 counties have no value for 1999 and are not ranked.

Share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI): other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings