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

Davie County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 51 counties in 2000, at 31.9%. Robeson County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 8.1%. Source: EPA.

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Highest31.9Davie County
Median8.151 counties

Map of counties, 2000

Alamance County: 1 %Alexander County: 25.1 %Avery County: 10.1 %Buncombe County: 8.1 %Cabarrus County: 0.9 %Caldwell County: 16.7 %Camden County: 1.9 %Carteret County: 3.3 %Caswell County: 16 %Catawba County: 3.4 %Chatham County: 5.5 %Cumberland County: 10.1 %Davidson County: 2.6 %Davie County: 31.9 %Duplin County: 6.1 %Durham County: 10.2 %Edgecombe County: 12.2 %Forsyth County: 14.5 %Franklin County: 11.7 %Gaston County: 0.8 %Granville County: 16.8 %Guilford County: 9.8 %Harnett County: 0 %Haywood County: 17.4 %Henderson County: 0 %Hyde County: 0 %Jackson County: 17.5 %Johnston County: 12.2 %Lenoir County: 8 %Lincoln County: 23.6 %McDowell County: 3.3 %Macon County: 3.1 %Martin County: 13.7 %Mecklenburg County: 17.2 %Mitchell County: 4.2 %Montgomery County: 6.5 %New Hanover County: 6.3 %Northampton County: 6.1 %Onslow County: 0 %Orange County: 0 %Pasquotank County: 0.9 %Person County: 12.6 %Pitt County: 12 %Robeson County: 0 %Rockingham County: 10.3 %Rowan County: 24.8 %Swain County: 1.9 %Union County: 8.6 %Wake County: 17.8 %Wayne County: 1.7 %Yancey County: 15.7 %
  • Under 0.9
  • 0.9 to 3.4
  • 3.4 to 8.1
  • 8.1 to 12
  • 12 to 17
  • 17 and over
  • No data
%, 2000. 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, 2000

Davie County: 31.9 %Davie County31.9Alexander County: 25.1 %Alexander County25.1Rowan County: 24.8 %Rowan County24.8Lincoln County: 23.6 %Lincoln County23.6Wake County: 17.8 %Wake County17.8Jackson County: 17.5 %Jackson County17.5Haywood County: 17.4 %Haywood County17.4Mecklenburg County: 17.2 %Mecklenburg County17.2Granville County: 16.8 %Granville County16.8Caldwell County: 16.7 %Caldwell County16.7Caswell County: 16 %Caswell County16Yancey County: 15.7 %Yancey County15.7Forsyth County: 14.5 %Forsyth County14.5Martin County: 13.7 %Martin County13.7Person County: 12.6 %Person County12.6Edgecombe County: 12.2 %Edgecombe County12.2Johnston County: 12.2 %Johnston County12.2Pitt County: 12 %Pitt County12Franklin County: 11.7 %Franklin County11.7Rockingham County: 10.3 %Rockingham County10.3Durham County: 10.2 %Durham County10.2Avery County: 10.1 %Avery County10.1Cumberland County: 10.1 %Cumberland County10.1Guilford County: 9.8 %Guilford County9.8Union County: 8.6 %Union County8.6Buncombe County: 8.1 %Buncombe County8.1Lenoir County: 8 %Lenoir County8Montgomery County: 6.5 %Montgomery County6.5New Hanover County: 6.3 %New Hanover County6.3Duplin County: 6.1 %Duplin County6.1Northampton County: 6.1 %Northampton County6.1Chatham County: 5.5 %Chatham County5.5Mitchell County: 4.2 %Mitchell County4.2Catawba County: 3.4 %Catawba County3.4Carteret County: 3.3 %Carteret County3.3McDowell County: 3.3 %McDowell County3.3Macon County: 3.1 %Macon County3.1Davidson County: 2.6 %Davidson County2.6Camden County: 1.9 %Camden County1.9Swain County: 1.9 %Swain County1.9Wayne County: 1.7 %Wayne County1.7Alamance County: 1 %Alamance County1Cabarrus County: 0.9 %Cabarrus County0.9Pasquotank County: 0.9 %Pasquotank County0.9Gaston County: 0.8 %Gaston County0.8Harnett County: 0 %Harnett County0Henderson County: 0 %Henderson County0Hyde County: 0 %Hyde County0Onslow County: 0 %Onslow County0Orange County: 0 %Orange County0Robeson County: 0 %Robeson County0Davie County: 31.9 %Davie County31.9Alexander County: 25.1 %Alexander County25.1Rowan County: 24.8 %Rowan County24.8Lincoln County: 23.6 %Lincoln County23.6Wake County: 17.8 %Wake County17.8Jackson County: 17.5 %Jackson County17.5Haywood County: 17.4 %Haywood County17.4Mecklenburg County: 17.2 %Mecklenburg County17.2Granville County: 16.8 %Granville County16.8Caldwell County: 16.7 %Caldwell County16.7Caswell County: 16 %Caswell County16Yancey County: 15.7 %Yancey County15.7Forsyth County: 14.5 %Forsyth County14.5Martin County: 13.7 %Martin County13.7Person County: 12.6 %Person County12.6Edgecombe County: 12.2 %Edgecombe County12.2Johnston County: 12.2 %Johnston County12.2Pitt County: 12 %Pitt County12Franklin County: 11.7 %Franklin County11.7Rockingham County: 10.3 %Rockingham County10.3Durham County: 10.2 %Durham County10.2Avery County: 10.1 %Avery County10.1Cumberland County: 10.1 %Cumberland County10.1Guilford County: 9.8 %Guilford County9.8Union County: 8.6 %Union County8.6Buncombe County: 8.1 %Buncombe County8.1Lenoir County: 8 %Lenoir County8Montgomery County: 6.5 %Montgomery County6.5New Hanover County: 6.3 %New Hanover County6.3Duplin County: 6.1 %Duplin County6.1Northampton County: 6.1 %Northampton County6.1Chatham County: 5.5 %Chatham County5.5Mitchell County: 4.2 %Mitchell County4.2Catawba County: 3.4 %Catawba County3.4Carteret County: 3.3 %Carteret County3.3McDowell County: 3.3 %McDowell County3.3Macon County: 3.1 %Macon County3.1Davidson County: 2.6 %Davidson County2.6Camden County: 1.9 %Camden County1.9Swain County: 1.9 %Swain County1.9Wayne County: 1.7 %Wayne County1.7Alamance County: 1 %Alamance County1Cabarrus County: 0.9 %Cabarrus County0.9Pasquotank County: 0.9 %Pasquotank County0.9Gaston County: 0.8 %Gaston County0.8Harnett County: 0 %Harnett County0Henderson County: 0 %Henderson County0Hyde County: 0 %Hyde County0Onslow County: 0 %Onslow County0Orange County: 0 %Orange County0Robeson County: 0 %Robeson County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2000 (%)Change on 1999
1Davie County31.9+0.9 pts
2Alexander County25.1+19 pts
3Rowan County24.8-15.4 pts
4Lincoln County23.6+14.6 pts
5Wake County17.8-2.3 pts
6Jackson County17.5-13.1 pts
7Haywood County17.4-15.9 pts
8Mecklenburg County17.2-2.8 pts
9Granville County16.8+8.1 pts
10Caldwell County16.7-10.9 pts
11Caswell County16+6 pts
12Yancey County15.7-9.4 pts
13Forsyth County14.5-1.4 pts
14Martin County13.7+3.8 pts
15Person County12.6-11.9 pts
16Edgecombe County12.2-4.5 pts
16Johnston County12.2-7.9 pts
18Pitt County12-2 pts
19Franklin County11.7-2 pts
20Rockingham County10.3+5.5 pts
21Durham County10.2+1.1 pts
22Avery County10.1-1.5 pts
22Cumberland County10.1-3.1 pts
24Guilford County9.8-5.6 pts
25Union County8.6-12.7 pts
26Buncombe County8.1-6 pts
27Lenoir County8-4 pts
28Montgomery County6.5-9.5 pts
29New Hanover County6.3+4.9 pts
30Duplin County6.1-6.8 pts
30Northampton County6.1-13.1 pts
32Chatham County5.5-3.3 pts
33Mitchell County4.2+3.3 pts
34Catawba County3.4+1.7 pts
35Carteret County3.3-2 pts
35McDowell County3.3+3.3 pts
37Macon County3.1-1.4 pts
38Davidson County2.6-1 pts
39Camden County1.9-14 pts
39Swain County1.9-3.2 pts
41Wayne County1.7-2.8 pts
42Alamance County1-3 pts
43Cabarrus County0.90 pts
43Pasquotank County0.9-1.3 pts
45Gaston County0.8-0.1 pts
46Harnett County00 pts
46Henderson County00 pts
46Hyde County0n/a
46Onslow County0-2.6 pts
46Orange County0-0.9 pts
46Robeson County0-1.1 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. 11 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2000 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 North Carolina by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2000) [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 North Carolina by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2000. 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/north-carolina-counties?period=2000. 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 North Carolina by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2000. 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/north-carolina-counties?period=2000.

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 North Carolina by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2000 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/north-carolina-counties?period=2000 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_north_carolina_2000,
  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 North Carolina by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2000}},
  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/north-carolina-counties?period=2000. 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 North Carolina by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2000
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/north-carolina-counties?period=2000
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/north-carolina-counties?period=2000.
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 North Carolina 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)?

Davie County, with 31.9% in 2000, according to EPA.

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

Robeson County, with 0% in 2000.

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. 11 counties have no value for 2000 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in North Carolina: more rankings