North Carolina · County air quality · 2024
Yancey County, North Carolina
Median AQI 44 (Good). 81.9% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 44
- Median AQI
- 81.9%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 53%
- Cleaner than US counties
Yancey County's 2024 annual median AQI is 44 (Good), with 81.9% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Yancey County, North Carolina posted a 2024 median AQI of 44 (Good) across 204 monitored days, with 81.9% 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
- Yancey County's 81.9% Good-day share places it cleaner than 53% of US counties in 2024.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Johnston County (74.7% Good, median AQI 44) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Yancey County.
- 2020–2024 trend
- Yancey County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is stable from 2020 to 2024 (83.6% → 81.9%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 44
According to the 2024 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Yancey County, North Carolina ranks #10 of 15 by median AQI (44) and #7 by good-day share (81.9%). 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
- Yancey County's Good-day share rose from 74.6% to 81.9% between the 2023 and 2024 EPA annual releases, a change of +7.3 percentage points.
- Yancey County's peak single-day AQI fell from 101 to 84 between the 2023 and 2024 EPA annual releases, a change of -17 points.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 167 d · 81.9%
- Moderate · 37 d · 18.1%
How did Yancey County's air break down in 2024?
Across 204 monitored days, 167 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 84 (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 Yancey County sits nationally
COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2024. Yancey County's Good-day share is 81.9% - cleaner than 53% of that comparison set.
Yancey County Good-day share vs. every US county
Share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release
81.9% Cleaner than 53% higher than 53% 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 Yancey County.
- Ozone · 204 days · 100.0%
2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Yancey County
Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (204 reported days in 2024). Apr posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 49, peak 71); Jul was cleanest at median 39.
Five-year seasonal record
EPA day-level county files · 2020–20241,170 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Apr has the highest matched-month median AQI (50), while Sep is lowest (40). 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
Yancey County's air quality is rated Good based on 81.9% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2024.
Air quality was acceptable on 81.9% of monitored days in 2024, with a median AQI of 44. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.
The dominant pollutant is Ozone, driving AQI on 204 of 204 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is stable in Yancey County. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (83.6%, 204 of 244 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 204 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 105 |
| 2021 | 186 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 90 |
| 2022 | 200 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 93 |
| 2023 | 179 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 101 |
| 2024 | 167 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 84 |
How does Yancey County compare?
How Yancey 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 Yancey County, North Carolina · 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.