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

Jefferson County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 36 counties in 2003, at 7.7%. Franklin County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 3.2%. Source: EPA.

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Median3.236 counties

Map of counties, 2003

Albany County: 2.2 %Bronx County: 4.1 %Broome County: 0 %Chautauqua County: 6 %Chemung County: 1.7 %Columbia County: 0 %Dutchess County: 2 %Erie County: 4.7 %Essex County: 4.9 %Franklin County: 0 %Hamilton County: 1.7 %Herkimer County: 1.5 %Jefferson County: 7.7 %Kings County: 1.1 %Madison County: 2 %Monroe County: 3 %Nassau County: 1.2 %New York County: 3.6 %Niagara County: 3.8 %Oneida County: 3.4 %Onondaga County: 1.6 %Orange County: 5.6 %Oswego County: 5.3 %Putnam County: 5.7 %Queens County: 4.4 %Rensselaer County: 2.6 %Richmond County: 7.5 %St. Lawrence County: 1 %Saratoga County: 6 %Schenectady County: 1.6 %Steuben County: 0.6 %Suffolk County: 7.1 %Tompkins County: 2.2 %Ulster County: 3.9 %Wayne County: 3.9 %Westchester County: 4.4 %
  • Under 1.2
  • 1.2 to 1.9
  • 1.9 to 3.2
  • 3.2 to 4.2
  • 4.2 to 5.6
  • 5.6 and over
  • No data
%, 2003. 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, 2003

Jefferson County: 7.7 %Jefferson County7.7Richmond County: 7.5 %Richmond County7.5Suffolk County: 7.1 %Suffolk County7.1Chautauqua County: 6 %Chautauqua County6Saratoga County: 6 %Saratoga County6Putnam County: 5.7 %Putnam County5.7Orange County: 5.6 %Orange County5.6Oswego County: 5.3 %Oswego County5.3Essex County: 4.9 %Essex County4.9Erie County: 4.7 %Erie County4.7Queens County: 4.4 %Queens County4.4Westchester County: 4.4 %Westchester County4.4Bronx County: 4.1 %Bronx County4.1Ulster County: 3.9 %Ulster County3.9Wayne County: 3.9 %Wayne County3.9Niagara County: 3.8 %Niagara County3.8New York County: 3.6 %New York County3.6Oneida County: 3.4 %Oneida County3.4Monroe County: 3 %Monroe County3Rensselaer County: 2.6 %Rensselaer County2.6Albany County: 2.2 %Albany County2.2Tompkins County: 2.2 %Tompkins County2.2Dutchess County: 2 %Dutchess County2Madison County: 2 %Madison County2Chemung County: 1.7 %Chemung County1.7Hamilton County: 1.7 %Hamilton County1.7Onondaga County: 1.6 %Onondaga County1.6Schenectady County: 1.6 %Schenectady County1.6Herkimer County: 1.5 %Herkimer County1.5Nassau County: 1.2 %Nassau County1.2Kings County: 1.1 %Kings County1.1St. Lawrence County: 1 %St. Lawrence County1Steuben County: 0.6 %Steuben County0.6Broome County: 0 %Broome County0Columbia County: 0 %Columbia County0Franklin County: 0 %Franklin County0Jefferson County: 7.7 %Jefferson County7.7Richmond County: 7.5 %Richmond County7.5Suffolk County: 7.1 %Suffolk County7.1Chautauqua County: 6 %Chautauqua County6Saratoga County: 6 %Saratoga County6Putnam County: 5.7 %Putnam County5.7Orange County: 5.6 %Orange County5.6Oswego County: 5.3 %Oswego County5.3Essex County: 4.9 %Essex County4.9Erie County: 4.7 %Erie County4.7Queens County: 4.4 %Queens County4.4Westchester County: 4.4 %Westchester County4.4Bronx County: 4.1 %Bronx County4.1Ulster County: 3.9 %Ulster County3.9Wayne County: 3.9 %Wayne County3.9Niagara County: 3.8 %Niagara County3.8New York County: 3.6 %New York County3.6Oneida County: 3.4 %Oneida County3.4Monroe County: 3 %Monroe County3Rensselaer County: 2.6 %Rensselaer County2.6Albany County: 2.2 %Albany County2.2Tompkins County: 2.2 %Tompkins County2.2Dutchess County: 2 %Dutchess County2Madison County: 2 %Madison County2Chemung County: 1.7 %Chemung County1.7Hamilton County: 1.7 %Hamilton County1.7Onondaga County: 1.6 %Onondaga County1.6Schenectady County: 1.6 %Schenectady County1.6Herkimer County: 1.5 %Herkimer County1.5Nassau County: 1.2 %Nassau County1.2Kings County: 1.1 %Kings County1.1St. Lawrence County: 1 %St. Lawrence County1Steuben County: 0.6 %Steuben County0.6Broome County: 0 %Broome County0Columbia County: 0 %Columbia County0Franklin County: 0 %Franklin County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2003 (%)Change on 2002
1Jefferson County7.7-4 pts
2Richmond County7.5-8.7 pts
3Suffolk County7.1-5.2 pts
4Chautauqua County6-5.3 pts
4Saratoga County6+0.4 pts
6Putnam County5.7-12 pts
7Orange County5.6+0.8 pts
8Oswego County5.3+5.3 pts
9Essex County4.9-4.1 pts
10Erie County4.7-6.3 pts
11Queens County4.4-3.3 pts
11Westchester County4.4-5.6 pts
13Bronx County4.1-3.8 pts
14Ulster County3.9-1.4 pts
14Wayne County3.9-2.7 pts
16Niagara County3.8-3 pts
17New York County3.6+1.1 pts
18Oneida County3.4-2.1 pts
19Monroe County3-4.1 pts
20Rensselaer County2.6-6.7 pts
21Albany County2.2-3.8 pts
21Tompkins County2.2-4.2 pts
23Dutchess County2-4.1 pts
23Madison County2-4.2 pts
25Chemung County1.7-5.2 pts
25Hamilton County1.7-2.5 pts
27Onondaga County1.6-5.5 pts
27Schenectady County1.6-3.1 pts
29Herkimer County1.5-1 pts
30Nassau County1.2+0.6 pts
31Kings County1.1+0.3 pts
32St. Lawrence County1-2.4 pts
33Steuben County0.6-1.7 pts
34Broome County0-4.5 pts
34Columbia County00 pts
34Franklin 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. 3 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2003 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 New York by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2003) [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 New York by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2003. 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/new-york-counties?period=2003. 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 New York by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2003. 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/new-york-counties?period=2003.

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 New York by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2003 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/new-york-counties?period=2003 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_new_york_2003,
  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 New York by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2003}},
  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/new-york-counties?period=2003. 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 New York by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2003
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/new-york-counties?period=2003
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/new-york-counties?period=2003.
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 New York 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)?

Jefferson County, with 7.7% in 2003, according to EPA.

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

Franklin County, with 0% in 2003.

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. 3 counties have no value for 2003 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in New York: more rankings