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

El Paso County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 45 counties in 2020, at 5.2%. Wilson County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 0.3%. Source: EPA.

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Highest5.2El Paso County
Median0.345 counties

Map of counties, 2020

Atascosa County: 0.5 %Bell County: 0.3 %Bexar County: 2.7 %Bowie County: 0.3 %Brazoria County: 0.8 %Brazos County: 0 %Brewster County: 0 %Cameron County: 2.5 %Collin County: 0.8 %Culberson County: 3.5 %Dallas County: 1.6 %Denton County: 2.2 %Ector County: 0 %Ellis County: 0.3 %El Paso County: 5.2 %Galveston County: 0.8 %Gregg County: 0 %Harris County: 4.6 %Harrison County: 0 %Hidalgo County: 1.4 %Hood County: 0 %Hunt County: 0 %Jefferson County: 0.6 %Johnson County: 0.6 %Karnes County: 0 %Kaufman County: 0.3 %Kleberg County: 1.8 %Lubbock County: 0 %McLennan County: 0 %Maverick County: 0.3 %Montgomery County: 2.2 %Navarro County: 0.5 %Nueces County: 0.5 %Orange County: 0.6 %Parker County: 0.3 %Polk County: 0 %Potter County: 0 %Randall County: 0 %Rockwall County: 0.3 %Smith County: 0 %Tarrant County: 4.4 %Travis County: 0.3 %Victoria County: 0 %Webb County: 0.8 %Wilson County: 0 %
  • Under 0.3
  • 0.3 to 0.7
  • 0.7 to 2.1
  • 2.1 and over
  • No data
%, 2020. 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, 2020

El Paso County: 5.2 %El Paso County5.2Harris County: 4.6 %Harris County4.6Tarrant County: 4.4 %Tarrant County4.4Culberson County: 3.5 %Culberson County3.5Bexar County: 2.7 %Bexar County2.7Cameron County: 2.5 %Cameron County2.5Denton County: 2.2 %Denton County2.2Montgomery County: 2.2 %Montgomery County2.2Kleberg County: 1.8 %Kleberg County1.8Dallas County: 1.6 %Dallas County1.6Hidalgo County: 1.4 %Hidalgo County1.4Brazoria County: 0.8 %Brazoria County0.8Collin County: 0.8 %Collin County0.8Galveston County: 0.8 %Galveston County0.8Webb County: 0.8 %Webb County0.8Jefferson County: 0.6 %Jefferson County0.6Johnson County: 0.6 %Johnson County0.6Orange County: 0.6 %Orange County0.6Atascosa County: 0.5 %Atascosa County0.5Navarro County: 0.5 %Navarro County0.5Nueces County: 0.5 %Nueces County0.5Bell County: 0.3 %Bell County0.3Bowie County: 0.3 %Bowie County0.3Ellis County: 0.3 %Ellis County0.3Kaufman County: 0.3 %Kaufman County0.3Maverick County: 0.3 %Maverick County0.3Parker County: 0.3 %Parker County0.3Rockwall County: 0.3 %Rockwall County0.3Travis County: 0.3 %Travis County0.3Brazos County: 0 %Brazos County0Brewster County: 0 %Brewster County0Ector County: 0 %Ector County0Gregg County: 0 %Gregg County0Harrison County: 0 %Harrison County0Hood County: 0 %Hood County0Hunt County: 0 %Hunt County0Karnes County: 0 %Karnes County0Lubbock County: 0 %Lubbock County0McLennan County: 0 %McLennan County0Polk County: 0 %Polk County0Potter County: 0 %Potter County0Randall County: 0 %Randall County0Smith County: 0 %Smith County0Victoria County: 0 %Victoria County0Wilson County: 0 %Wilson County0El Paso County: 5.2 %El Paso County5.2Harris County: 4.6 %Harris County4.6Tarrant County: 4.4 %Tarrant County4.4Culberson County: 3.5 %Culberson County3.5Bexar County: 2.7 %Bexar County2.7Cameron County: 2.5 %Cameron County2.5Denton County: 2.2 %Denton County2.2Montgomery County: 2.2 %Montgomery County2.2Kleberg County: 1.8 %Kleberg County1.8Dallas County: 1.6 %Dallas County1.6Hidalgo County: 1.4 %Hidalgo County1.4Brazoria County: 0.8 %Brazoria County0.8Collin County: 0.8 %Collin County0.8Galveston County: 0.8 %Galveston County0.8Webb County: 0.8 %Webb County0.8Jefferson County: 0.6 %Jefferson County0.6Johnson County: 0.6 %Johnson County0.6Orange County: 0.6 %Orange County0.6Atascosa County: 0.5 %Atascosa County0.5Navarro County: 0.5 %Navarro County0.5Nueces County: 0.5 %Nueces County0.5Bell County: 0.3 %Bell County0.3Bowie County: 0.3 %Bowie County0.3Ellis County: 0.3 %Ellis County0.3Kaufman County: 0.3 %Kaufman County0.3Maverick County: 0.3 %Maverick County0.3Parker County: 0.3 %Parker County0.3Rockwall County: 0.3 %Rockwall County0.3Travis County: 0.3 %Travis County0.3Brazos County: 0 %Brazos County0Brewster County: 0 %Brewster County0Ector County: 0 %Ector County0Gregg County: 0 %Gregg County0Harrison County: 0 %Harrison County0Hood County: 0 %Hood County0Hunt County: 0 %Hunt County0Karnes County: 0 %Karnes County0Lubbock County: 0 %Lubbock County0McLennan County: 0 %McLennan County0Polk County: 0 %Polk County0Potter County: 0 %Potter County0Randall County: 0 %Randall County0Smith County: 0 %Smith County0Victoria County: 0 %Victoria County0Wilson County: 0 %Wilson County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1El Paso County5.2+1.6 pts
2Harris County4.6-2.8 pts
3Tarrant County4.4+0.6 pts
4Culberson County3.5+2.4 pts
5Bexar County2.7+1.3 pts
6Cameron County2.5+2.5 pts
7Denton County2.2-1.1 pts
7Montgomery County2.2+0.8 pts
9Kleberg County1.8+1.8 pts
10Dallas County1.60 pts
11Hidalgo County1.4+0.9 pts
12Brazoria County0.8-1.1 pts
12Collin County0.8-1.4 pts
12Galveston County0.8-1.4 pts
12Webb County0.8+0.5 pts
16Jefferson County0.6-1 pts
16Johnson County0.6-1.4 pts
16Orange County0.6+0.6 pts
19Atascosa County0.5n/a
19Navarro County0.5+0.5 pts
19Nueces County0.5+0.2 pts
22Bell County0.3-0.2 pts
22Bowie County0.30 pts
22Ellis County0.3+0.3 pts
22Kaufman County0.3+0.3 pts
22Maverick County0.30 pts
22Parker County0.3+0.3 pts
22Rockwall County0.3-0.3 pts
22Travis County0.3-0.2 pts
30Brazos County0n/a
30Brewster County00 pts
30Ector County00 pts
30Gregg County0-0.3 pts
30Harrison County00 pts
30Hood County0-0.3 pts
30Hunt County00 pts
30Karnes County0n/a
30Lubbock County0-0.3 pts
30McLennan County00 pts
30Polk County00 pts
30Potter County00 pts
30Randall County0-0.6 pts
30Smith County0-0.3 pts
30Victoria County00 pts
30Wilson County0n/a

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. 18 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2020 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 Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2020) [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 Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2020. 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/texas-counties?period=2020. 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 Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2020. 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/texas-counties?period=2020.

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 Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/texas-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_texas_by_2020,
  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 Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2020}},
  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/texas-counties?period=2020. 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 Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 2020
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/texas-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/texas-counties?period=2020.
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 Texas 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)?

El Paso County, with 5.2% in 2020, according to EPA.

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

Wilson County, with 0% in 2020.

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. 18 counties have no value for 2020 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Texas: more rankings