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

Hanover County had the highest share of days unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse (US EPA AQI) of 43 counties in 1997, at 23.6%. Wise County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 0.8%. Source: EPA.

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Highest23.6Hanover County
Median0.843 counties

Map of counties, 1997

Arlington County: 14.3 %Caroline County: 12.2 %Carroll County: 0 %Charles City County: 12.6 %Chesterfield County: 16.5 %Culpeper County: 0 %Fairfax County: 11.2 %Fauquier County: 10.3 %Frederick County: 14.5 %Giles County: 11 %Hanover County: 23.6 %Henrico County: 16.3 %Henry County: 9.4 %King William County: 0 %Loudoun County: 0 %Madison County: 7.7 %Northumberland County: 0 %Prince Edward County: 6.8 %Prince William County: 7.7 %Roanoke County: 6.9 %Rockbridge County: 2 %Rockingham County: 0 %Smyth County: 0 %Stafford County: 16.5 %Tazewell County: 0 %Warren County: 0 %Wise County: 0 %Wythe County: 12.7 %Alexandria city: 5.5 %Bristol city: 0 %Charlottesville city: 0 %Chesapeake city: 0 %Covington city: 0 %Fredericksburg city: 0 %Hampton city: 20.6 %Lynchburg city: 0 %Martinsville city: 0 %Newport News city: 0 %Norfolk city: 0 %Richmond city: 0.8 %Roanoke city: 0 %Suffolk city: 20.5 %Winchester city: 0 %
  • Under 0.8
  • 0.8 to 9.4
  • 9.4 to 14
  • 14 and over
  • No data
%, 1997. 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, 1997

Hanover County: 23.6 %Hanover County23.6Hampton city: 20.6 %Hampton city20.6Suffolk city: 20.5 %Suffolk city20.5Chesterfield County: 16.5 %Chesterfield County16.5Stafford County: 16.5 %Stafford County16.5Henrico County: 16.3 %Henrico County16.3Frederick County: 14.5 %Frederick County14.5Arlington County: 14.3 %Arlington County14.3Wythe County: 12.7 %Wythe County12.7Charles City County: 12.6 %Charles City County12.6Caroline County: 12.2 %Caroline County12.2Fairfax County: 11.2 %Fairfax County11.2Giles County: 11 %Giles County11Fauquier County: 10.3 %Fauquier County10.3Henry County: 9.4 %Henry County9.4Madison County: 7.7 %Madison County7.7Prince William County: 7.7 %Prince William County7.7Roanoke County: 6.9 %Roanoke County6.9Prince Edward County: 6.8 %Prince Edward County6.8Alexandria city: 5.5 %Alexandria city5.5Rockbridge County: 2 %Rockbridge County2Richmond city: 0.8 %Richmond city0.8Bristol city: 0 %Bristol city0Carroll County: 0 %Carroll County0Charlottesville city: 0 %Charlottesville city0Chesapeake city: 0 %Chesapeake city0Covington city: 0 %Covington city0Culpeper County: 0 %Culpeper County0Fredericksburg city: 0 %Fredericksburg city0King William County: 0 %King William County0Loudoun County: 0 %Loudoun County0Lynchburg city: 0 %Lynchburg city0Martinsville city: 0 %Martinsville city0Newport News city: 0 %Newport News city0Norfolk city: 0 %Norfolk city0Northumberland County: 0 %Northumberland County0Roanoke city: 0 %Roanoke city0Rockingham County: 0 %Rockingham County0Smyth County: 0 %Smyth County0Tazewell County: 0 %Tazewell County0Warren County: 0 %Warren County0Winchester city: 0 %Winchester city0Wise County: 0 %Wise County0Hanover County: 23.6 %Hanover County23.6Hampton city: 20.6 %Hampton city20.6Suffolk city: 20.5 %Suffolk city20.5Chesterfield County: 16.5 %Chesterfield County16.5Stafford County: 16.5 %Stafford County16.5Henrico County: 16.3 %Henrico County16.3Frederick County: 14.5 %Frederick County14.5Arlington County: 14.3 %Arlington County14.3Wythe County: 12.7 %Wythe County12.7Charles City County: 12.6 %Charles City County12.6Caroline County: 12.2 %Caroline County12.2Fairfax County: 11.2 %Fairfax County11.2Giles County: 11 %Giles County11Fauquier County: 10.3 %Fauquier County10.3Henry County: 9.4 %Henry County9.4Madison County: 7.7 %Madison County7.7Prince William County: 7.7 %Prince William County7.7Roanoke County: 6.9 %Roanoke County6.9Prince Edward County: 6.8 %Prince Edward County6.8Alexandria city: 5.5 %Alexandria city5.5Rockbridge County: 2 %Rockbridge County2Richmond city: 0.8 %Richmond city0.8Bristol city: 0 %Bristol city0Carroll County: 0 %Carroll County0Charlottesville city: 0 %Charlottesville city0Chesapeake city: 0 %Chesapeake city0Covington city: 0 %Covington city0Culpeper County: 0 %Culpeper County0Fredericksburg city: 0 %Fredericksburg city0King William County: 0 %King William County0Loudoun County: 0 %Loudoun County0Lynchburg city: 0 %Lynchburg city0Martinsville city: 0 %Martinsville city0Newport News city: 0 %Newport News city0Norfolk city: 0 %Norfolk city0Northumberland County: 0 %Northumberland County0Roanoke city: 0 %Roanoke city0Rockingham County: 0 %Rockingham County0Smyth County: 0 %Smyth County0Tazewell 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

RankCounties1997 (%)Change on 1996
1Hanover County23.6+17.1 pts
2Hampton city20.6+12.1 pts
3Suffolk city20.5+13 pts
4Chesterfield County16.5+7.1 pts
4Stafford County16.5+4.7 pts
6Henrico County16.3+5.8 pts
7Frederick County14.5+7.5 pts
8Arlington County14.3+7.5 pts
9Wythe County12.7+7 pts
10Charles City County12.6+5.9 pts
11Caroline County12.2+5.9 pts
12Fairfax County11.2+0.8 pts
13Giles County11+6.6 pts
14Fauquier County10.3+1.9 pts
15Henry County9.4+2.7 pts
16Madison County7.7-1.5 pts
16Prince William County7.7+1.3 pts
18Roanoke County6.9+5.3 pts
19Prince Edward County6.8+4.9 pts
20Alexandria city5.5+4.7 pts
21Rockbridge County2-1.1 pts
22Richmond city0.8+0.8 pts
23Bristol city00 pts
23Carroll County00 pts
23Charlottesville city00 pts
23Chesapeake city00 pts
23Covington city00 pts
23Culpeper County00 pts
23Fredericksburg city00 pts
23King William County00 pts
23Loudoun County00 pts
23Lynchburg city00 pts
23Martinsville city00 pts
23Newport News city00 pts
23Norfolk city00 pts
23Northumberland County00 pts
23Roanoke city00 pts
23Rockingham County0n/a
23Smyth County00 pts
23Tazewell County00 pts
23Warren County00 pts
23Winchester city00 pts
23Wise 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. 17 counties with data in other periods have no value for 1997 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), 1997) [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), 1997. 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?period=1997. 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), 1997. 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?period=1997.

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), 1997 [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?period=1997 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_virginia_by_1997,
  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), 1997}},
  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?period=1997. 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), 1997
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?period=1997
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/virginia-counties?period=1997.
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 Virginia 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)?

Hanover County, with 23.6% in 1997, 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 1997.

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. 17 counties have no value for 1997 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Virginia: more rankings