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 41 counties in 1998, at 25.8%. Wise County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 1%. Source: EPA.

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Highest25.8Hanover County
Median141 counties

Map of counties, 1998

Arlington County: 11.1 %Caroline County: 14.1 %Carroll County: 0 %Charles City County: 15.1 %Chesterfield County: 19.9 %Culpeper County: 0 %Fairfax County: 16.4 %Fauquier County: 21 %Frederick County: 22.9 %Giles County: 18.1 %Hanover County: 25.8 %Henrico County: 22.3 %King William County: 0 %Loudoun County: 23.5 %Madison County: 22.3 %Northumberland County: 0 %Prince Edward County: 13.6 %Prince William County: 12 %Roanoke County: 15.6 %Rockbridge County: 1 %Rockingham County: 0 %Stafford County: 20.4 %Tazewell County: 0 %Warren County: 0 %Wise County: 0 %Wythe County: 18.3 %Alexandria city: 10.7 %Bristol city: 0 %Charlottesville city: 0 %Chesapeake city: 0 %Covington city: 0 %Fredericksburg city: 0 %Hampton city: 16.5 %Lynchburg city: 0 %Martinsville city: 0 %Newport News city: 0 %Norfolk city: 0 %Richmond city: 0 %Roanoke city: 0 %Suffolk city: 19.2 %Winchester city: 0 %
  • Under 1
  • 1 to 15
  • 15 to 20
  • 20 and over
  • No data
%, 1998. 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, 1998

Hanover County: 25.8 %Hanover County25.8Loudoun County: 23.5 %Loudoun County23.5Frederick County: 22.9 %Frederick County22.9Henrico County: 22.3 %Henrico County22.3Madison County: 22.3 %Madison County22.3Fauquier County: 21 %Fauquier County21Stafford County: 20.4 %Stafford County20.4Chesterfield County: 19.9 %Chesterfield County19.9Suffolk city: 19.2 %Suffolk city19.2Wythe County: 18.3 %Wythe County18.3Giles County: 18.1 %Giles County18.1Hampton city: 16.5 %Hampton city16.5Fairfax County: 16.4 %Fairfax County16.4Roanoke County: 15.6 %Roanoke County15.6Charles City County: 15.1 %Charles City County15.1Caroline County: 14.1 %Caroline County14.1Prince Edward County: 13.6 %Prince Edward County13.6Prince William County: 12 %Prince William County12Arlington County: 11.1 %Arlington County11.1Alexandria city: 10.7 %Alexandria city10.7Rockbridge County: 1 %Rockbridge County1Bristol 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 County0Lynchburg city: 0 %Lynchburg city0Martinsville city: 0 %Martinsville city0Newport News city: 0 %Newport News city0Norfolk city: 0 %Norfolk city0Northumberland County: 0 %Northumberland County0Richmond city: 0 %Richmond city0Roanoke city: 0 %Roanoke city0Rockingham County: 0 %Rockingham County0Tazewell County: 0 %Tazewell County0Warren County: 0 %Warren County0Winchester city: 0 %Winchester city0Wise County: 0 %Wise County0Hanover County: 25.8 %Hanover County25.8Loudoun County: 23.5 %Loudoun County23.5Frederick County: 22.9 %Frederick County22.9Henrico County: 22.3 %Henrico County22.3Madison County: 22.3 %Madison County22.3Fauquier County: 21 %Fauquier County21Stafford County: 20.4 %Stafford County20.4Chesterfield County: 19.9 %Chesterfield County19.9Suffolk city: 19.2 %Suffolk city19.2Wythe County: 18.3 %Wythe County18.3Giles County: 18.1 %Giles County18.1Hampton city: 16.5 %Hampton city16.5Fairfax County: 16.4 %Fairfax County16.4Roanoke County: 15.6 %Roanoke County15.6Charles City County: 15.1 %Charles City County15.1Caroline County: 14.1 %Caroline County14.1Prince Edward County: 13.6 %Prince Edward County13.6Prince William County: 12 %Prince William County12Arlington County: 11.1 %Arlington County11.1Alexandria city: 10.7 %Alexandria city10.7Rockbridge County: 1 %Rockbridge County1Bristol 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 County0Lynchburg city: 0 %Lynchburg city0Martinsville city: 0 %Martinsville city0Newport News city: 0 %Newport News city0Norfolk city: 0 %Norfolk city0Northumberland County: 0 %Northumberland County0Richmond city: 0 %Richmond city0Roanoke city: 0 %Roanoke city0Rockingham County: 0 %Rockingham 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

RankCounties1998 (%)Change on 1997
1Hanover County25.8+2.2 pts
2Loudoun County23.5+23.5 pts
3Frederick County22.9+8.4 pts
4Henrico County22.3+6 pts
4Madison County22.3+14.6 pts
6Fauquier County21+10.7 pts
7Stafford County20.4+3.9 pts
8Chesterfield County19.9+3.4 pts
9Suffolk city19.2-1.3 pts
10Wythe County18.3+5.6 pts
11Giles County18.1+7.1 pts
12Hampton city16.5-4.1 pts
13Fairfax County16.4+5.2 pts
14Roanoke County15.6+8.7 pts
15Charles City County15.1+2.5 pts
16Caroline County14.1+1.9 pts
17Prince Edward County13.6+6.8 pts
18Prince William County12+4.3 pts
19Arlington County11.1-3.2 pts
20Alexandria city10.7+5.2 pts
21Rockbridge County1-1 pts
22Bristol city00 pts
22Carroll County00 pts
22Charlottesville city00 pts
22Chesapeake city00 pts
22Covington city00 pts
22Culpeper County00 pts
22Fredericksburg city00 pts
22King William County00 pts
22Lynchburg city00 pts
22Martinsville city00 pts
22Newport News city00 pts
22Norfolk city00 pts
22Northumberland County00 pts
22Richmond city0-0.8 pts
22Roanoke city00 pts
22Rockingham County00 pts
22Tazewell County00 pts
22Warren County00 pts
22Winchester city00 pts
22Wise 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. 19 counties with data in other periods have no value for 1998 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), 1998) [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), 1998. 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=1998. 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), 1998. 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=1998.

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), 1998 [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=1998 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{environmental_counties_in_virginia_by_1998,
  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), 1998}},
  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=1998. 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), 1998
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=1998
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unhealthy-air-quality-days-share/virginia-counties?period=1998.
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 25.8% in 1998, 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 1998.

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. 19 counties have no value for 1998 and are not ranked.

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

Counties in Virginia: more rankings