State air quality · 2025

Alabama Air Quality Ranking

Across 15 monitored counties, the typical county in Alabama posts a median AQI of 40 (Good) and 73.9% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

40
Avg median AQI
73.9%
Good-air days
15
Counties monitored
33%
Cleaner than US states

Alabama's typical county median AQI is 40 (Good) across 15 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Alabama monitors 15 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 73.9%. Cleanest: Elmore County (97.9% Good). Most polluted: Jefferson County (43.6%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
Alabama's day-weighted Good-day share of 73.9% places it cleaner than 33% of US states.
In-state spread
Within Alabama, Elmore County leads at 97.9% Good days while Jefferson County sits at 43.6% across 15 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
Alabama's Good-day share moved +0.2 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 40

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

EPA state monitoring brief

AQS state key ALABAMA

Alabama · 2025 EPA AQS · 15 counties · med AQI 40 · 73.9% Good · Elmore→Jefferson spread

  • GOOD 40 Median AQI · Good
  • SHARE 73.9% Good-day share
  • COUNT 15 Counties monitored
  • UNH 0 Unhealthy+ days
  • RANK 33% Cleaner than states
  • PM25 62.2% Main pollutant share

Good-day share peers

Louisiana74.6%Delaware74.1%Alabama (this)73.9%Pennsylvania73.8%
Good-day share neighbourhood · nearest ABS peers vs Alabama

Alabama's 73.9% Good-day share is cleaner than 33% of monitored US states; Elmore and Jefferson County bracket the in-state range. Open Elmore County →

According to EPA AQS annual summaries on PlainAirData, Alabama ranks #35 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (73.9%) and #33 by mean county median AQI (40.3). Hawaii is #1 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (93.8% of monitored days) at mean county median-AQI #4 (27.3) ≠ Alaska #1 lowest mean county median AQI (20.3) at good-day share #8 (84.4%).

Data updated August 2026

What changed, what drives it, and how thick is the sample

Three derived views WPR-style word count does not substitute for: release-over-release movement from county annual rows, the EPA main-pollutant day mix, and how many counties sit below the 100-day ranking floor.

Release change

73.9%

Good-day share in 2025, up 0.2 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 40, 0.7 points lower (cleaner) than 2024.

Pollutant mix

PM2.5

Main driver on 62.2% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • PM2.5 62.2%
  • Ozone 37.8%

Monitoring coverage

322

Average monitored days per county in the latest release. 1 of 15 counties sit below the 100-day floor used for cleanest/most-polluted claims.

Counties Monitored

15

Good Days %

73.9%

Avg Median AQI

40

Total Unhealthy Days

0

Best Air Quality

Elmore County

Worst Air Quality

Jefferson County

Where Alabama sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 52 US states with at least 365 monitored days in the latest county release. Alabama's day-weighted Good-day share is 73.9% - cleaner than 33% of that comparison set.

Alabama Good-day share vs. every US state

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

73.9% 33rd percentile higher than 33% of 52 US states

0.0%–5.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 5.0%–10.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 10.0%–15.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 15.0%–20.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 20.0%–25.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 25.0%–30.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 30.0%–35.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 35.0%–40.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 40.0%–45.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 45.0%–50.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 50.0%–55.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 55.0%–60.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 60.0%–65.0%: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 65.0%–70.0%: 9 US states (17%). Below this entry. 70.0%–75.0%: 11 US states (21%). This entry sits in this band. 75.0%–80.0%: 11 US states (21%). Above this entry. 80.0%–85.0%: 13 US states (25%). Above this entry. 85.0%–90.0%: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 90.0%–95.0%: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 95.0%–100.0%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 100.0%–105.0%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 0.0% 100% every floor-qualified US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. 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

Which counties in Alabama have the cleanest and most polluted air?

Cleanest counties in Alabama

Share of monitored days rated Good (AQI 0–50)

  1. 1 Elmore County 97.9%
  2. 2 Lawrence County 91.8%
  3. 3 Shelby County 91.4%
  4. 4 Clay County 81.1%
  5. 5 Russell County 79.4%
  6. 6 Morgan County 78.9%
  7. 7 Sumter County 78%
  8. 8 DeKalb County 77.3%
  9. 9 Baldwin County 75.5%
  10. 10 Tuscaloosa County 73.6%
  11. 11 Madison County 72.1%
  12. 12 Mobile County 71.6%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Elmore 97.9% 34
Lawrence 91.8% 30
Shelby 91.4% 36
Clay 81.1% 33
Russell 79.4% 40
Morgan 78.9% 41
Sumter 78.0% 41
DeKalb 77.3% 41
Baldwin 75.5% 42
Tuscaloosa 73.6% 41
Madison 72.0% 42
Mobile 71.6% 43
Montgomery 63.8% 44
Etowah 61.4% 45
Jefferson 43.6% 52

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by County dataset, 2020–2025. See our methodology for how AQI and median figures are computed.

Coverage: 15 counties in Alabama with active monitoring stations. Unmonitored counties are not represented.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by county summary files, aggregated to the state level · 2020–2025

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.

Informational only, not professional advice. Data from EPA AQS. See our disclaimer.