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

Harris County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 45 counties in 2022, at 7.4%. Wilson County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 0.8%. Source: EPA.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest7.4Harris County
Median0.845 counties

Map of counties, 2022

Atascosa County: 0.6 %Bell County: 0.8 %Bexar County: 3.6 %Bowie County: 0 %Brazoria County: 2.2 %Brazos County: 0 %Brewster County: 0 %Cameron County: 0.8 %Collin County: 1.9 %Culberson County: 2.3 %Dallas County: 4.7 %Denton County: 5.5 %Ector County: 0 %Ellis County: 0 %El Paso County: 5.5 %Galveston County: 1.9 %Gregg County: 0.3 %Harris County: 7.4 %Harrison County: 1.5 %Hidalgo County: 0.8 %Hood County: 3.1 %Hunt County: 0 %Jefferson County: 1.4 %Johnson County: 3.9 %Karnes County: 0 %Kaufman County: 0.8 %Kleberg County: 1.2 %Lubbock County: 0.6 %McLennan County: 0 %Maverick County: 0.3 %Montgomery County: 1.6 %Navarro County: 0.3 %Nueces County: 0.5 %Orange County: 0.5 %Parker County: 3.9 %Polk County: 0 %Potter County: 0.3 %Randall County: 1.2 %Rockwall County: 0 %Smith County: 1.7 %Tarrant County: 6 %Travis County: 1.9 %Victoria County: 0 %Webb County: 0.6 %Wilson County: 0 %
  • Under 0.3
  • 0.3 to 0.8
  • 0.8 to 1.6
  • 1.6 to 3.4
  • 3.4 and over
  • No data
%, 2022. 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, 2022

Harris County: 7.4 %Harris County7.4Tarrant County: 6 %Tarrant County6Denton County: 5.5 %Denton County5.5El Paso County: 5.5 %El Paso County5.5Dallas County: 4.7 %Dallas County4.7Johnson County: 3.9 %Johnson County3.9Parker County: 3.9 %Parker County3.9Bexar County: 3.6 %Bexar County3.6Hood County: 3.1 %Hood County3.1Culberson County: 2.3 %Culberson County2.3Brazoria County: 2.2 %Brazoria County2.2Collin County: 1.9 %Collin County1.9Galveston County: 1.9 %Galveston County1.9Travis County: 1.9 %Travis County1.9Smith County: 1.7 %Smith County1.7Montgomery County: 1.6 %Montgomery County1.6Harrison County: 1.5 %Harrison County1.5Jefferson County: 1.4 %Jefferson County1.4Kleberg County: 1.2 %Kleberg County1.2Randall County: 1.2 %Randall County1.2Bell County: 0.8 %Bell County0.8Cameron County: 0.8 %Cameron County0.8Hidalgo County: 0.8 %Hidalgo County0.8Kaufman County: 0.8 %Kaufman County0.8Atascosa County: 0.6 %Atascosa County0.6Lubbock County: 0.6 %Lubbock County0.6Webb County: 0.6 %Webb County0.6Nueces County: 0.5 %Nueces County0.5Orange County: 0.5 %Orange County0.5Gregg County: 0.3 %Gregg County0.3Maverick County: 0.3 %Maverick County0.3Navarro County: 0.3 %Navarro County0.3Potter County: 0.3 %Potter County0.3Bowie County: 0 %Bowie County0Brazos County: 0 %Brazos County0Brewster County: 0 %Brewster County0Ector County: 0 %Ector County0Ellis County: 0 %Ellis County0Hunt County: 0 %Hunt County0Karnes County: 0 %Karnes County0McLennan County: 0 %McLennan County0Polk County: 0 %Polk County0Rockwall County: 0 %Rockwall County0Victoria County: 0 %Victoria County0Wilson County: 0 %Wilson County0Harris County: 7.4 %Harris County7.4Tarrant County: 6 %Tarrant County6Denton County: 5.5 %Denton County5.5El Paso County: 5.5 %El Paso County5.5Dallas County: 4.7 %Dallas County4.7Johnson County: 3.9 %Johnson County3.9Parker County: 3.9 %Parker County3.9Bexar County: 3.6 %Bexar County3.6Hood County: 3.1 %Hood County3.1Culberson County: 2.3 %Culberson County2.3Brazoria County: 2.2 %Brazoria County2.2Collin County: 1.9 %Collin County1.9Galveston County: 1.9 %Galveston County1.9Travis County: 1.9 %Travis County1.9Smith County: 1.7 %Smith County1.7Montgomery County: 1.6 %Montgomery County1.6Harrison County: 1.5 %Harrison County1.5Jefferson County: 1.4 %Jefferson County1.4Kleberg County: 1.2 %Kleberg County1.2Randall County: 1.2 %Randall County1.2Bell County: 0.8 %Bell County0.8Cameron County: 0.8 %Cameron County0.8Hidalgo County: 0.8 %Hidalgo County0.8Kaufman County: 0.8 %Kaufman County0.8Atascosa County: 0.6 %Atascosa County0.6Lubbock County: 0.6 %Lubbock County0.6Webb County: 0.6 %Webb County0.6Nueces County: 0.5 %Nueces County0.5Orange County: 0.5 %Orange County0.5Gregg County: 0.3 %Gregg County0.3Maverick County: 0.3 %Maverick County0.3Navarro County: 0.3 %Navarro County0.3Potter County: 0.3 %Potter County0.3Bowie County: 0 %Bowie County0Brazos County: 0 %Brazos County0Brewster County: 0 %Brewster County0Ector County: 0 %Ector County0Ellis County: 0 %Ellis County0Hunt County: 0 %Hunt County0Karnes County: 0 %Karnes County0McLennan County: 0 %McLennan County0Polk County: 0 %Polk County0Rockwall County: 0 %Rockwall County0Victoria County: 0 %Victoria County0Wilson County: 0 %Wilson County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Harris County7.4+0.6 pts
2Tarrant County6+2.2 pts
3Denton County5.5-0.3 pts
3El Paso County5.5+0.3 pts
5Dallas County4.7+2 pts
6Johnson County3.9+2.2 pts
6Parker County3.9+3.6 pts
8Bexar County3.6+0.3 pts
9Hood County3.1+2.8 pts
10Culberson County2.3+0.5 pts
11Brazoria County2.2-1.1 pts
12Collin County1.9-0.3 pts
12Galveston County1.9+1.1 pts
12Travis County1.9+1.6 pts
15Smith County1.7+1.7 pts
16Montgomery County1.6+0.8 pts
17Harrison County1.5+0.4 pts
18Jefferson County1.4+0.6 pts
19Kleberg County1.2+0.9 pts
19Randall County1.2+0.4 pts
21Bell County0.80 pts
21Cameron County0.8+0.8 pts
21Hidalgo County0.8+0.2 pts
21Kaufman County0.8+0.8 pts
25Atascosa County0.6+0.6 pts
25Lubbock County0.6+0.6 pts
25Webb County0.6+0.6 pts
28Nueces County0.50 pts
28Orange County0.5+0.5 pts
30Gregg County0.3+0.3 pts
30Maverick County0.3+0.3 pts
30Navarro County0.3+0.3 pts
30Potter County0.3+0.3 pts
34Bowie County0-0.3 pts
34Brazos County00 pts
34Brewster County0-0.3 pts
34Ector County00 pts
34Ellis County0-0.3 pts
34Hunt County00 pts
34Karnes County00 pts
34McLennan County00 pts
34Polk County00 pts
34Rockwall County00 pts
34Victoria County00 pts
34Wilson 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. 18 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2022 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), 2022) [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), 2022. 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=2022. 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), 2022. 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=2022.

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), 2022 [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=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_texas_by_2022,
  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), 2022}},
  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=2022. 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), 2022
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=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/texas-counties?period=2022.
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  - 
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Texas by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"aqi_unhealthy_sensitive_or_worse_days_share","level":"province","within":"Texas","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=aqi_unhealthy_sensitive_or_worse_days_share&level=province&within=Texas&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Harris County, with 7.4% in 2022, 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 2022.

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 2022 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Texas: more rankings