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

Bucks County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 40 counties in 2021, at 3.5%. Somerset County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 0.3%. Source: EPA.

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Highest3.5Bucks County
Median0.340 counties

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 0.8 %Allegheny County: 1.9 %Armstrong County: 0.3 %Beaver County: 0.8 %Berks County: 1.4 %Blair County: 0.6 %Bradford County: 0.3 %Bucks County: 3.5 %Cambria County: 0.3 %Centre County: 0.3 %Chester County: 0.6 %Clearfield County: 0 %Cumberland County: 0.3 %Dauphin County: 0.6 %Delaware County: 0.8 %Elk County: 0 %Erie County: 0 %Fayette County: 0.3 %Franklin County: 0 %Greene County: 0.3 %Indiana County: 0.6 %Lackawanna County: 0.3 %Lancaster County: 2.2 %Lawrence County: 0 %Lebanon County: 0.5 %Lehigh County: 0.3 %Luzerne County: 0 %Lycoming County: 0.3 %Mercer County: 0.3 %Monroe County: 0 %Montgomery County: 1.7 %Northampton County: 1.1 %Philadelphia County: 3 %Somerset County: 0 %Susquehanna County: 0.6 %Tioga County: 0.3 %Washington County: 0.3 %Westmoreland County: 0.3 %Wyoming County: 0.3 %York County: 0.6 %
  • Under 0.3
  • 0.3 to 0.6
  • 0.6 to 1
  • 1 and over
  • No data
%, 2021. 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, 2021

Bucks County: 3.5 %Bucks County3.5Philadelphia County: 3 %Philadelphia County3Lancaster County: 2.2 %Lancaster County2.2Allegheny County: 1.9 %Allegheny County1.9Montgomery County: 1.7 %Montgomery County1.7Berks County: 1.4 %Berks County1.4Northampton County: 1.1 %Northampton County1.1Adams County: 0.8 %Adams County0.8Beaver County: 0.8 %Beaver County0.8Delaware County: 0.8 %Delaware County0.8Blair County: 0.6 %Blair County0.6Chester County: 0.6 %Chester County0.6Dauphin County: 0.6 %Dauphin County0.6Indiana County: 0.6 %Indiana County0.6Susquehanna County: 0.6 %Susquehanna County0.6York County: 0.6 %York County0.6Lebanon County: 0.5 %Lebanon County0.5Armstrong County: 0.3 %Armstrong County0.3Bradford County: 0.3 %Bradford County0.3Cambria County: 0.3 %Cambria County0.3Centre County: 0.3 %Centre County0.3Cumberland County: 0.3 %Cumberland County0.3Fayette County: 0.3 %Fayette County0.3Greene County: 0.3 %Greene County0.3Lackawanna County: 0.3 %Lackawanna County0.3Lehigh County: 0.3 %Lehigh County0.3Lycoming County: 0.3 %Lycoming County0.3Mercer County: 0.3 %Mercer County0.3Tioga County: 0.3 %Tioga County0.3Washington County: 0.3 %Washington County0.3Westmoreland County: 0.3 %Westmoreland County0.3Wyoming County: 0.3 %Wyoming County0.3Clearfield County: 0 %Clearfield County0Elk County: 0 %Elk County0Erie County: 0 %Erie County0Franklin County: 0 %Franklin County0Lawrence County: 0 %Lawrence County0Luzerne County: 0 %Luzerne County0Monroe County: 0 %Monroe County0Somerset County: 0 %Somerset County0Bucks County: 3.5 %Bucks County3.5Philadelphia County: 3 %Philadelphia County3Lancaster County: 2.2 %Lancaster County2.2Allegheny County: 1.9 %Allegheny County1.9Montgomery County: 1.7 %Montgomery County1.7Berks County: 1.4 %Berks County1.4Northampton County: 1.1 %Northampton County1.1Adams County: 0.8 %Adams County0.8Beaver County: 0.8 %Beaver County0.8Delaware County: 0.8 %Delaware County0.8Blair County: 0.6 %Blair County0.6Chester County: 0.6 %Chester County0.6Dauphin County: 0.6 %Dauphin County0.6Indiana County: 0.6 %Indiana County0.6Susquehanna County: 0.6 %Susquehanna County0.6York County: 0.6 %York County0.6Lebanon County: 0.5 %Lebanon County0.5Armstrong County: 0.3 %Armstrong County0.3Bradford County: 0.3 %Bradford County0.3Cambria County: 0.3 %Cambria County0.3Centre County: 0.3 %Centre County0.3Cumberland County: 0.3 %Cumberland County0.3Fayette County: 0.3 %Fayette County0.3Greene County: 0.3 %Greene County0.3Lackawanna County: 0.3 %Lackawanna County0.3Lehigh County: 0.3 %Lehigh County0.3Lycoming County: 0.3 %Lycoming County0.3Mercer County: 0.3 %Mercer County0.3Tioga County: 0.3 %Tioga County0.3Washington County: 0.3 %Washington County0.3Westmoreland County: 0.3 %Westmoreland County0.3Wyoming County: 0.3 %Wyoming County0.3Clearfield County: 0 %Clearfield County0Elk County: 0 %Elk County0Erie County: 0 %Erie County0Franklin County: 0 %Franklin County0Lawrence County: 0 %Lawrence County0Luzerne County: 0 %Luzerne County0Monroe County: 0 %Monroe County0Somerset County: 0 %Somerset County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Bucks County3.5+2.4 pts
2Philadelphia County3+1.6 pts
3Lancaster County2.2+0.8 pts
4Allegheny County1.9-0.8 pts
5Montgomery County1.7+1.7 pts
6Berks County1.4+1.1 pts
7Northampton County1.1+0.8 pts
8Adams County0.8+0.8 pts
8Beaver County0.8+0.5 pts
8Delaware County0.80 pts
11Blair County0.6+0.6 pts
11Chester County0.6+0.3 pts
11Dauphin County0.6-0.2 pts
11Indiana County0.6+0.3 pts
11Susquehanna County0.6+0.6 pts
11York County0.6+0.6 pts
17Lebanon County0.5-0.1 pts
18Armstrong County0.3-0.5 pts
18Bradford County0.3+0.3 pts
18Cambria County0.3+0.3 pts
18Centre County0.3+0.3 pts
18Cumberland County0.3-0.3 pts
18Fayette County0.3+0.3 pts
18Greene County0.30 pts
18Lackawanna County0.3+0.3 pts
18Lehigh County0.3+0.3 pts
18Lycoming County0.30 pts
18Mercer County0.30 pts
18Tioga County0.3+0.3 pts
18Washington County0.3+0.3 pts
18Westmoreland County0.3+0.3 pts
18Wyoming County0.3+0.3 pts
33Clearfield County00 pts
33Elk County00 pts
33Erie County00 pts
33Franklin County00 pts
33Lawrence County00 pts
33Luzerne County00 pts
33Monroe County00 pts
33Somerset 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. 4 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2021 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 Pennsylvania by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2021) [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 Pennsylvania by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2021. 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/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021. 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 Pennsylvania by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2021. 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/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021.

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 Pennsylvania by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_pennsylvania_by_2021,
  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 Pennsylvania by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2021}},
  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/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021. 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 Pennsylvania by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2021
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/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/pennsylvania-counties?period=2021.
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 Pennsylvania 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)?

Bucks County, with 3.5% in 2021, according to EPA.

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

Somerset County, with 0% in 2021.

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. 4 counties have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Pennsylvania: more rankings