Georgia · County air quality · 2024
Columbia County, Georgia
Median AQI 36 (Good). 94.2% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 36
- Median AQI
- 94.2%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 87%
- Cleaner than US counties
Columbia County's 2024 annual median AQI is 36 (Good), with 94.2% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Columbia County, Georgia posted a 2024 median AQI of 36 (Good) across 172 monitored days, with 94.2% rated Good and 0 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual comparison, not today's advisory.
Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
- Cleaner than US
- Columbia County's 94.2% Good-day share places it cleaner than 87% of US counties in 2024.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Sumter County (93.4% Good, median AQI 38) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Columbia County.
- 2020–2024 trend
- Columbia County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is worsening from 2020 to 2024 (99.2% → 94.2%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 36
According to the 2024 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Columbia County, Georgia ranks #3 of 15 by median AQI (36) and #2 by good-day share (94.2%). San Mateo County, California is #1 of 15 by median AQI (27, 88.1% Good days) at good-day-share #5 ≠ Chattooga County, Georgia #1 by good-day share (96.3%, median AQI 39) at median-AQI #5.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2024 EPA annual release
- Columbia County's Good-day share fell from 96.3% to 94.2% between the 2023 and 2024 EPA annual releases, a change of -2.1 percentage points.
- Columbia County's peak single-day AQI rose from 74 to 90 between the 2023 and 2024 EPA annual releases, a change of +16 points.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 162 d · 94.2%
- Moderate · 10 d · 5.8%
How did Columbia County's air break down in 2024?
Across 172 monitored days, 162 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 90 (Moderate).
EPA AQS →Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).
Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).
Where Columbia County sits nationally
COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2024. Columbia County's Good-day share is 94.2% - cleaner than 87% of that comparison set.
Columbia County Good-day share vs. every US county
Share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release
94.2% Cleaner than 87% higher than 87% of 951 US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (AQS) · 2024
Pollutant Breakdown
Days where each pollutant was the primary driver of AQI readings in Columbia County.
- Ozone · 172 days · 100.0%
2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Columbia County
Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (172 reported days in 2024). Apr posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 45, peak 51); Sep was cleanest at median 33.
Five-year seasonal record
EPA day-level county files · 2020–20241,145 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Apr has the highest matched-month median AQI (43), while Jul is lowest (31). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.
Lower AQI is better. The colors summarize EPA AQI bands; gaps mean the county had no day-level record for that month.
Health Impact Assessment
Columbia County's air quality is rated Excellent based on 94.2% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2024.
Air quality was acceptable on 94.2% of monitored days in 2024, with a median AQI of 36. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.
The dominant pollutant is Ozone, driving AQI on 172 of 172 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is worsening in Columbia County. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (99.2%, 239 of 241 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 239 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 51 |
| 2021 | 239 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 67 |
| 2022 | 238 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 71 |
| 2023 | 233 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 74 |
| 2024 | 162 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 90 |
How does Columbia County compare?
How Columbia County compares
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by County dataset, 2020–2025 (aqs.epa.gov). For current conditions (not shown here — this page is historical annual data), see EPA AirNow (airnow.gov). See our methodology for how AQI, median, and coverage figures are computed.
Informational only, not professional advice. Data from EPA AQS. See our disclaimer. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by county summary files for Columbia County, Georgia · 2020–2025
Download this county's annual AQI row as CSV , with the same EPA fields and denominator shown on this page.
Every figure on PlainAirData is rendered directly from EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.