Indiana · County air quality · 2025

Lake County, Indiana

Median AQI 53 (Moderate). 41.6% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.

53
Median AQI
41.6%
Good-air days
4
Unhealthy days
3%
Cleaner than US counties

Lake County's 2025 annual median AQI is 53 (Moderate), with 41.6% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Lake County, Indiana posted a 2025 median AQI of 53 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days, with 41.6% rated Good and 4 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual comparison, not today's advisory.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US
Lake County's 41.6% Good-day share places it cleaner than 3% of US counties in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Cook County (40.8% Good, median AQI 53) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Lake County.
2020–2025 trend
Lake County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is stable from 2020 to 2025 (44.0% → 41.8%).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 53

According to the 2025 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Lake County, Indiana ranks #916 of 951 by median AQI (53) and #918 by good-day share (41.6%). Ponce County, Puerto Rico is #1 of 951 by median AQI (3, 91.4% Good days) at good-day-share #159 ≠ largest of 7 at 100.0% Good days #1 by good-day share (100.0%, median AQI 9) at median-AQI #7.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Lake County's peak single-day AQI rose from 166 to 219 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +53 points.
  • Lake County's Good-day share fell from 44.3% to 41.6% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -2.6 percentage points.
  • Lake County's Unhealthy-category days rose from 1 to 3 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2 days.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 365 in 2025. These are arithmetic differences between two stored EPA annual summaries, not a cause claim or a live advisory.

National release changes Two-year CSV

Data updated August 2026

Lake County AQI category distribution Stacked-segment bar showing the share of monitored days that fell in each EPA AQI category, Good, Moderate, USG, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, Hazardous, with median AQI marker. AQI category distribution 365 monitored days G M Median AQI 53 0 50 100 150 200 300 500 Lake County
  • Good · 152 d · 41.6%
  • Moderate · 198 d · 54.2%
  • USG · 11 d · 3.0%
  • Unhealthy · 3 d · 0.8%
  • Very Unhealthy · 1 d · 0.3%

How did Lake County's air break down in 2025?

Across 365 monitored days, 152 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 4 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 219 (Very Unhealthy).

EPA AQS →
Lake County, Good days share 41.6%
National avg

Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).

Lake County, Unhealthy-or-worse share 11.0%
National avg

Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).

Where Lake County sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2025. Lake County's Good-day share is 41.6% - cleaner than 3% of that comparison set.

Lake County Good-day share vs. every US county

Share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release

41.6% 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 951 US counties

0.0%–5.0%: 0 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 5.0%–10.0%: 1 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 10.0%–15.0%: 4 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 15.0%–20.0%: 4 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 20.0%–25.0%: 1 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 25.0%–30.0%: 5 US counties (1%). Below this entry. 30.0%–35.0%: 9 US counties (1%). Below this entry. 35.0%–40.0%: 4 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 40.0%–45.0%: 16 US counties (2%). This entry sits in this band. 45.0%–50.0%: 16 US counties (2%). Above this entry. 50.0%–55.0%: 32 US counties (3%). Above this entry. 55.0%–60.0%: 50 US counties (5%). Above this entry. 60.0%–65.0%: 77 US counties (8%). Above this entry. 65.0%–70.0%: 93 US counties (10%). Above this entry. 70.0%–75.0%: 109 US counties (11%). Above this entry. 75.0%–80.0%: 114 US counties (12%). Above this entry. 80.0%–85.0%: 123 US counties (13%). Above this entry. 85.0%–90.0%: 99 US counties (10%). Above this entry. 90.0%–95.0%: 117 US counties (12%). Above this entry. 95.0%–100.0%: 70 US counties (7%). Above this entry. 100.0%–105.0%: 7 US counties (1%). Above this entry. This county 0.0% 100% every floor-qualified US county, bucketed by value

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) · 2025

Pollutant Breakdown

Days where each pollutant was the primary driver of AQI readings in Lake County.

Lake County, Indiana criteria pollutant distribution Stratified-band visualization showing the share of monitored days each criteria pollutant (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO) was the primary AQI driver. PM2.5 · 76.4% Ozone · 21.9% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Lake County, Indiana · 365 monitored days Criteria pollutant column
  • PM2.5 · 279 days · 76.4%
  • Ozone · 80 days · 21.9%
  • PM10 · 5 days · 1.4%
  • NO₂ · 1 days · 0.3%

2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Lake County

Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (366 reported days in 2024). Jul posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 58, peak 105); Nov was cleanest at median 41. Summer months (Jun–Aug) averaged median AQI 55 vs 53 in Dec–Feb. 1 day crossed Unhealthy (AQI >150) at least once that year.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 53 54 42 44 53 52 58 55 54 49 41 52
Lake County median daily AQI by calendar month (2024, EPA daily county file)

Five-year seasonal record

EPA day-level county files · 2020–2024

1,827 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Jun has the highest matched-month median AQI (61), while Sep is lowest (49). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2020 565553534552515243475357
2021 606154525252655848465353
2022 535348445160545050525455
2023 575352556191616251525349
2024 535442445352585554494152

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

Poor

Lake County's air quality is rated Poor based on 41.6% good air days. There were 4 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality reached unhealthy levels on 4 days in 2025 (3 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy). Sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular conditions, children, and adults over 65, should review the daily breakdown below and follow local air-quality advisories on high-AQI days.

Sensitive group advisory

People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, children, pregnant women, and adults 65+ should follow EPA AQI alerts daily and limit outdoor exertion when AQI exceeds 100. Real-time conditions: airnow.gov.

The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 279 of 365 monitored days.

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is stable in Lake County. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (44.3%, 162 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate USG Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 161 199 6 0 52
2021 134 225 5 1 54
2022 152 208 5 0 52
2023 125 222 16 1 55
2024 162 199 4 1 52
2025 152 198 11 3 53

How does Lake County compare?

How Lake County compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Lake County 41.6%
Cook County, Illinois 40.8%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Lake County 53
Cook County, Illinois 53
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr worse than typical
Lake County 4
Cook County, Illinois 5
Typical US county 1

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 Lake County, Indiana · 2020–2025

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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.