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 2023, at 13.2%. Wilson County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 0.6%. Source: EPA.

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Highest13.2Harris County
Median0.645 counties

Map of counties, 2023

Atascosa County: 0 %Bell County: 1.6 %Bexar County: 3.3 %Bowie County: 0.3 %Brazoria County: 4.7 %Brazos County: 0 %Brewster County: 0.3 %Cameron County: 1.6 %Collin County: 5.9 %Culberson County: 0 %Dallas County: 7.4 %Denton County: 8.8 %Ector County: 0 %Ellis County: 0.6 %El Paso County: 5.2 %Galveston County: 5.8 %Gregg County: 0.5 %Harris County: 13.2 %Harrison County: 0.3 %Hidalgo County: 0 %Hood County: 3 %Hunt County: 0.6 %Jefferson County: 2.5 %Johnson County: 2.2 %Karnes County: 0 %Kaufman County: 2.5 %Kleberg County: 0 %Lubbock County: 0.3 %McLennan County: 2.2 %Maverick County: 0.3 %Montgomery County: 2.5 %Navarro County: 0 %Nueces County: 0.5 %Orange County: 0.3 %Parker County: 2 %Polk County: 0 %Potter County: 0.6 %Randall County: 0.3 %Rockwall County: 0 %Smith County: 1.1 %Tarrant County: 7.4 %Travis County: 3 %Victoria County: 0 %Webb County: 1.4 %Wilson County: 0 %
  • Under 0.3
  • 0.3 to 0.6
  • 0.6 to 2.2
  • 2.2 to 4.2
  • 4.2 and over
  • No data
%, 2023. 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, 2023

Harris County: 13.2 %Harris County13.2Denton County: 8.8 %Denton County8.8Dallas County: 7.4 %Dallas County7.4Tarrant County: 7.4 %Tarrant County7.4Collin County: 5.9 %Collin County5.9Galveston County: 5.8 %Galveston County5.8El Paso County: 5.2 %El Paso County5.2Brazoria County: 4.7 %Brazoria County4.7Bexar County: 3.3 %Bexar County3.3Hood County: 3 %Hood County3Travis County: 3 %Travis County3Jefferson County: 2.5 %Jefferson County2.5Kaufman County: 2.5 %Kaufman County2.5Montgomery County: 2.5 %Montgomery County2.5Johnson County: 2.2 %Johnson County2.2McLennan County: 2.2 %McLennan County2.2Parker County: 2 %Parker County2Bell County: 1.6 %Bell County1.6Cameron County: 1.6 %Cameron County1.6Webb County: 1.4 %Webb County1.4Smith County: 1.1 %Smith County1.1Ellis County: 0.6 %Ellis County0.6Hunt County: 0.6 %Hunt County0.6Potter County: 0.6 %Potter County0.6Gregg County: 0.5 %Gregg County0.5Nueces County: 0.5 %Nueces County0.5Bowie County: 0.3 %Bowie County0.3Brewster County: 0.3 %Brewster County0.3Harrison County: 0.3 %Harrison County0.3Lubbock County: 0.3 %Lubbock County0.3Maverick County: 0.3 %Maverick County0.3Orange County: 0.3 %Orange County0.3Randall County: 0.3 %Randall County0.3Atascosa County: 0 %Atascosa County0Brazos County: 0 %Brazos County0Culberson County: 0 %Culberson County0Ector County: 0 %Ector County0Hidalgo County: 0 %Hidalgo County0Karnes County: 0 %Karnes County0Kleberg County: 0 %Kleberg County0Navarro County: 0 %Navarro County0Polk County: 0 %Polk County0Rockwall County: 0 %Rockwall County0Victoria County: 0 %Victoria County0Wilson County: 0 %Wilson County0Harris County: 13.2 %Harris County13.2Denton County: 8.8 %Denton County8.8Dallas County: 7.4 %Dallas County7.4Tarrant County: 7.4 %Tarrant County7.4Collin County: 5.9 %Collin County5.9Galveston County: 5.8 %Galveston County5.8El Paso County: 5.2 %El Paso County5.2Brazoria County: 4.7 %Brazoria County4.7Bexar County: 3.3 %Bexar County3.3Hood County: 3 %Hood County3Travis County: 3 %Travis County3Jefferson County: 2.5 %Jefferson County2.5Kaufman County: 2.5 %Kaufman County2.5Montgomery County: 2.5 %Montgomery County2.5Johnson County: 2.2 %Johnson County2.2McLennan County: 2.2 %McLennan County2.2Parker County: 2 %Parker County2Bell County: 1.6 %Bell County1.6Cameron County: 1.6 %Cameron County1.6Webb County: 1.4 %Webb County1.4Smith County: 1.1 %Smith County1.1Ellis County: 0.6 %Ellis County0.6Hunt County: 0.6 %Hunt County0.6Potter County: 0.6 %Potter County0.6Gregg County: 0.5 %Gregg County0.5Nueces County: 0.5 %Nueces County0.5Bowie County: 0.3 %Bowie County0.3Brewster County: 0.3 %Brewster County0.3Harrison County: 0.3 %Harrison County0.3Lubbock County: 0.3 %Lubbock County0.3Maverick County: 0.3 %Maverick County0.3Orange County: 0.3 %Orange County0.3Randall County: 0.3 %Randall County0.3Atascosa County: 0 %Atascosa County0Brazos County: 0 %Brazos County0Culberson County: 0 %Culberson County0Ector County: 0 %Ector County0Hidalgo County: 0 %Hidalgo County0Karnes County: 0 %Karnes County0Kleberg County: 0 %Kleberg County0Navarro County: 0 %Navarro 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

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Harris County13.2+5.8 pts
2Denton County8.8+3.3 pts
3Dallas County7.4+2.7 pts
3Tarrant County7.4+1.4 pts
5Collin County5.9+4 pts
6Galveston County5.8+3.9 pts
7El Paso County5.2-0.3 pts
8Brazoria County4.7+2.5 pts
9Bexar County3.3-0.3 pts
10Hood County3-0.1 pts
10Travis County3+1.1 pts
12Jefferson County2.5+1.1 pts
12Kaufman County2.5+1.7 pts
12Montgomery County2.5+0.9 pts
15Johnson County2.2-1.7 pts
15McLennan County2.2+2.2 pts
17Parker County2-1.9 pts
18Bell County1.6+0.8 pts
18Cameron County1.6+0.8 pts
20Webb County1.4+0.8 pts
21Smith County1.1-0.6 pts
22Ellis County0.6+0.6 pts
22Hunt County0.6+0.6 pts
22Potter County0.6+0.3 pts
25Gregg County0.5+0.2 pts
25Nueces County0.50 pts
27Bowie County0.3+0.3 pts
27Brewster County0.3+0.3 pts
27Harrison County0.3-1.2 pts
27Lubbock County0.3-0.3 pts
27Maverick County0.30 pts
27Orange County0.3-0.2 pts
27Randall County0.3-0.9 pts
34Atascosa County0-0.6 pts
34Brazos County00 pts
34Culberson County0-2.3 pts
34Ector County00 pts
34Hidalgo County0-0.8 pts
34Karnes County00 pts
34Kleberg County0-1.2 pts
34Navarro County0-0.3 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 2023 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), 2023) [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), 2023. 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=2023. 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), 2023. 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=2023.

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), 2023 [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=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_texas_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  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=2023. 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), 2023
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=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/texas-counties?period=2023.
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)?

Harris County, with 13.2% in 2023, 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 2023.

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 2023 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Texas: more rankings