Data / Rankings / Share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) / Counties in Minnesota

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

Wright County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 21 counties in 2023, at 6%. Cook County had the lowest, at 0.3%. The median was 2.5%. Source: EPA.

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Highest6Wright County
Lowest0.3Cook County
Median2.521 counties

Map of counties, 2023

Anoka County: 4.7 %Becker County: 2.2 %Beltrami County: 1.7 %Carlton County: 1.4 %Cass County: 1.4 %Cook County: 0.3 %Crow Wing County: 2.5 %Dakota County: 2.7 %Goodhue County: 2.1 %Hennepin County: 4.7 %Lake County: 0.5 %Lyon County: 3.6 %Mille Lacs County: 2.1 %Olmsted County: 4.1 %Ramsey County: 2.7 %St. Louis County: 2.2 %Scott County: 4.7 %Stearns County: 3.8 %Washington County: 3.3 %Winona County: 1.7 %Wright County: 6 %
  • Under 1.7
  • 1.7 to 2.2
  • 2.2 to 2.7
  • 2.7 to 4.1
  • 4.1 and over
  • No data
%, 2023. 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, 2023

Wright County: 6 %Wright County6Anoka County: 4.7 %Anoka County4.7Hennepin County: 4.7 %Hennepin County4.7Scott County: 4.7 %Scott County4.7Olmsted County: 4.1 %Olmsted County4.1Stearns County: 3.8 %Stearns County3.8Lyon County: 3.6 %Lyon County3.6Washington County: 3.3 %Washington County3.3Dakota County: 2.7 %Dakota County2.7Ramsey County: 2.7 %Ramsey County2.7Crow Wing County: 2.5 %Crow Wing County2.5Becker County: 2.2 %Becker County2.2St. Louis County: 2.2 %St. Louis County2.2Goodhue County: 2.1 %Goodhue County2.1Mille Lacs County: 2.1 %Mille Lacs County2.1Beltrami County: 1.7 %Beltrami County1.7Winona County: 1.7 %Winona County1.7Carlton County: 1.4 %Carlton County1.4Cass County: 1.4 %Cass County1.4Lake County: 0.5 %Lake County0.5Cook County: 0.3 %Cook County0.3Wright County: 6 %Wright County6Anoka County: 4.7 %Anoka County4.7Hennepin County: 4.7 %Hennepin County4.7Scott County: 4.7 %Scott County4.7Olmsted County: 4.1 %Olmsted County4.1Stearns County: 3.8 %Stearns County3.8Lyon County: 3.6 %Lyon County3.6Washington County: 3.3 %Washington County3.3Dakota County: 2.7 %Dakota County2.7Ramsey County: 2.7 %Ramsey County2.7Crow Wing County: 2.5 %Crow Wing County2.5Becker County: 2.2 %Becker County2.2St. Louis County: 2.2 %St. Louis County2.2Goodhue County: 2.1 %Goodhue County2.1Mille Lacs County: 2.1 %Mille Lacs County2.1Beltrami County: 1.7 %Beltrami County1.7Winona County: 1.7 %Winona County1.7Carlton County: 1.4 %Carlton County1.4Cass County: 1.4 %Cass County1.4Lake County: 0.5 %Lake County0.5Cook County: 0.3 %Cook County0.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Wright County6+6 pts
2Anoka County4.7+4.7 pts
2Hennepin County4.7+4.7 pts
2Scott County4.7+4.7 pts
5Olmsted County4.1+3.8 pts
6Stearns County3.8+3.8 pts
7Lyon County3.6+3 pts
8Washington County3.3+3.3 pts
9Dakota County2.7+2.7 pts
9Ramsey County2.7+2.7 pts
11Crow Wing County2.5+2.5 pts
12Becker County2.2+1.9 pts
12St. Louis County2.2+2.2 pts
14Goodhue County2.1+2.1 pts
14Mille Lacs County2.1+2.1 pts
16Beltrami County1.7+1.7 pts
16Winona County1.7+1.7 pts
18Carlton County1.4+1.4 pts
18Cass County1.4+1.4 pts
20Lake County0.5+0.5 pts
21Cook County0.3+0.3 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. 19 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2023 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 Minnesota by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2023) [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 Minnesota by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2023. 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/minnesota-counties?period=2023. 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 Minnesota by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2023. 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/minnesota-counties?period=2023.

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 Minnesota by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/minnesota-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_minnesota_by_2023,
  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 Minnesota by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2023}},
  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/minnesota-counties?period=2023. 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 Minnesota by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2023
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/minnesota-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/minnesota-counties?period=2023.
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 Minnesota 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)?

Wright County, with 6% in 2023, according to EPA.

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

Cook County, with 0.3% in 2023.

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. 19 counties have no value for 2023 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings