Counties in Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999

Hanover County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 42 counties in 1999, at 25.4%. Wise County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 8%. Source: EPA.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest25.4Hanover County
Median842 counties

Map of counties, 1999

Arlington County: 13.7 %Caroline County: 13.2 %Carroll County: 0 %Charles City County: 12.5 %Chesterfield County: 15.9 %Culpeper County: 0 %Fairfax County: 15.6 %Fauquier County: 20.7 %Frederick County: 16.9 %Giles County: 17.9 %Hanover County: 25.4 %Henrico County: 18 %King William County: 0 %Loudoun County: 11.8 %Madison County: 19.4 %Northumberland County: 0 %Page County: 18 %Prince Edward County: 8.1 %Prince William County: 13.4 %Roanoke County: 9.3 %Rockbridge County: 11.4 %Rockingham County: 0 %Stafford County: 24.3 %Tazewell County: 0 %Warren County: 0 %Wise County: 0 %Wythe County: 14.5 %Alexandria city: 7.9 %Bristol city: 2.2 %Charlottesville city: 0 %Chesapeake city: 1.8 %Fredericksburg city: 0 %Hampton city: 12 %Lynchburg city: 1.8 %Newport News city: 1.3 %Norfolk city: 0.8 %Richmond city: 1.6 %Roanoke city: 0 %Salem city: 0 %Suffolk city: 18.7 %Virginia Beach city: 2.2 %Winchester city: 0 %
  • Under 1.1
  • 1.1 to 8
  • 8 to 13
  • 13 to 18
  • 18 and over
  • No data
%, 1999. 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, 1999

Hanover County: 25.4 %Hanover County25.4Stafford County: 24.3 %Stafford County24.3Fauquier County: 20.7 %Fauquier County20.7Madison County: 19.4 %Madison County19.4Suffolk city: 18.7 %Suffolk city18.7Henrico County: 18 %Henrico County18Page County: 18 %Page County18Giles County: 17.9 %Giles County17.9Frederick County: 16.9 %Frederick County16.9Chesterfield County: 15.9 %Chesterfield County15.9Fairfax County: 15.6 %Fairfax County15.6Wythe County: 14.5 %Wythe County14.5Arlington County: 13.7 %Arlington County13.7Prince William County: 13.4 %Prince William County13.4Caroline County: 13.2 %Caroline County13.2Charles City County: 12.5 %Charles City County12.5Hampton city: 12 %Hampton city12Loudoun County: 11.8 %Loudoun County11.8Rockbridge County: 11.4 %Rockbridge County11.4Roanoke County: 9.3 %Roanoke County9.3Prince Edward County: 8.1 %Prince Edward County8.1Alexandria city: 7.9 %Alexandria city7.9Bristol city: 2.2 %Bristol city2.2Virginia Beach city: 2.2 %Virginia Beach city2.2Chesapeake city: 1.8 %Chesapeake city1.8Lynchburg city: 1.8 %Lynchburg city1.8Richmond city: 1.6 %Richmond city1.6Newport News city: 1.3 %Newport News city1.3Norfolk city: 0.8 %Norfolk city0.8Carroll County: 0 %Carroll County0Charlottesville city: 0 %Charlottesville city0Culpeper County: 0 %Culpeper County0Fredericksburg city: 0 %Fredericksburg city0King William County: 0 %King William County0Northumberland County: 0 %Northumberland County0Roanoke city: 0 %Roanoke city0Rockingham County: 0 %Rockingham County0Salem city: 0 %Salem city0Tazewell County: 0 %Tazewell County0Warren County: 0 %Warren County0Winchester city: 0 %Winchester city0Wise County: 0 %Wise County0Hanover County: 25.4 %Hanover County25.4Stafford County: 24.3 %Stafford County24.3Fauquier County: 20.7 %Fauquier County20.7Madison County: 19.4 %Madison County19.4Suffolk city: 18.7 %Suffolk city18.7Henrico County: 18 %Henrico County18Page County: 18 %Page County18Giles County: 17.9 %Giles County17.9Frederick County: 16.9 %Frederick County16.9Chesterfield County: 15.9 %Chesterfield County15.9Fairfax County: 15.6 %Fairfax County15.6Wythe County: 14.5 %Wythe County14.5Arlington County: 13.7 %Arlington County13.7Prince William County: 13.4 %Prince William County13.4Caroline County: 13.2 %Caroline County13.2Charles City County: 12.5 %Charles City County12.5Hampton city: 12 %Hampton city12Loudoun County: 11.8 %Loudoun County11.8Rockbridge County: 11.4 %Rockbridge County11.4Roanoke County: 9.3 %Roanoke County9.3Prince Edward County: 8.1 %Prince Edward County8.1Alexandria city: 7.9 %Alexandria city7.9Bristol city: 2.2 %Bristol city2.2Virginia Beach city: 2.2 %Virginia Beach city2.2Chesapeake city: 1.8 %Chesapeake city1.8Lynchburg city: 1.8 %Lynchburg city1.8Richmond city: 1.6 %Richmond city1.6Newport News city: 1.3 %Newport News city1.3Norfolk city: 0.8 %Norfolk city0.8Carroll County: 0 %Carroll County0Charlottesville city: 0 %Charlottesville city0Culpeper County: 0 %Culpeper County0Fredericksburg city: 0 %Fredericksburg city0King William County: 0 %King William County0Northumberland County: 0 %Northumberland County0Roanoke city: 0 %Roanoke city0Rockingham County: 0 %Rockingham County0Salem city: 0 %Salem city0Tazewell County: 0 %Tazewell County0Warren County: 0 %Warren County0Winchester city: 0 %Winchester city0Wise County: 0 %Wise County0
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from EPA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties1999 (%)Change on 1998
1Hanover County25.4-0.4 pts
2Stafford County24.3+3.9 pts
3Fauquier County20.7-0.3 pts
4Madison County19.4-2.9 pts
5Suffolk city18.7-0.5 pts
6Henrico County18-4.3 pts
6Page County18n/a
8Giles County17.9-0.2 pts
9Frederick County16.9-6 pts
10Chesterfield County15.9-4 pts
11Fairfax County15.6-0.8 pts
12Wythe County14.5-3.8 pts
13Arlington County13.7+2.6 pts
14Prince William County13.4+1.4 pts
15Caroline County13.2-0.9 pts
16Charles City County12.5-2.6 pts
17Hampton city12-4.5 pts
18Loudoun County11.8-11.7 pts
19Rockbridge County11.4+10.4 pts
20Roanoke County9.3-6.3 pts
21Prince Edward County8.1-5.5 pts
22Alexandria city7.9-2.8 pts
23Bristol city2.2+2.2 pts
23Virginia Beach city2.2n/a
25Chesapeake city1.8+1.8 pts
25Lynchburg city1.8+1.8 pts
27Richmond city1.6+1.6 pts
28Newport News city1.3+1.3 pts
29Norfolk city0.8+0.8 pts
30Carroll County00 pts
30Charlottesville city00 pts
30Culpeper County00 pts
30Fredericksburg city00 pts
30King William County00 pts
30Northumberland County00 pts
30Roanoke city00 pts
30Rockingham County00 pts
30Salem city0n/a
30Tazewell County00 pts
30Warren County00 pts
30Winchester city00 pts
30Wise 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 1999 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 Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999) [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 Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999. 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/virginia-counties. 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 Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999. 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/virginia-counties.

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 Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999 [Dataset]. Available at: https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/airdata/download_files.html#Annual, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/virginia-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_virginia_by_1999,
  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 Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999}},
  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/virginia-counties. 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 Virginia by share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI), 1999
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/virginia-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/virginia-counties.
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 Virginia 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":"Virginia","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=aqi_unhealthy_sensitive_or_worse_days_share&level=province&within=Virginia&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)?

Hanover County, with 25.4% in 1999, according to EPA.

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

Wise County, with 0% in 1999.

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 1999 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Virginia: more rankings