State air quality · 2024
Georgia Air Quality
Across 26 monitored counties, Georgia averages a median AQI of 43 (Good) and 68.7% good-air days, from EPA AQS.
- 43
- Avg median AQI
- 68.7%
- Good-air days
- 26
- Counties monitored
- 17%
- Cleaner than US states
Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →
The verdict
According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, across 26 monitored counties, Georgia averages a good median AQI of 43, among the more polluted US states, with 68.7% of days in the Good band, but the gap between Dawson and Bibb County is the real story.
- 43
- avg median AQI · Good
- 68.7%
- days in the Good band
- 8/26
- counties ≥75% Good days
- 17%
- cleaner than other states
Cleanest: Dawson County (94.4% Good days). Most polluted: Bibb County (49.5%).
Data updated July 2026
Georgia: 26 monitored counties (2024), avg median AQI 43 (Good), 68.7% good-air days, 4 total unhealthy days (0.1%). Best: Dawson County (94.4%). Worst: Bibb County (49.5%). Worst single reading: AQI 181. EPA AQS methodology + AQI interpretation →
A statewide average smooths over real differences between counties, so it should be read as a starting point rather than a verdict on any one place. Within almost every state, a handful of urban or wildfire-prone counties carry most of the unhealthy days while rural counties sit near the clean end of the scale, and the gap between the best and worst county is often wider than the gap between two neighboring states. Coverage matters too: the Environmental Protection Agency places monitors where population density, emission sources, or attainment status warrant them, so a state with few monitored counties is described by a thinner sample than one blanketed with stations. The figures here count only the days each monitor actually reported, which keeps lightly monitored and heavily monitored counties on comparable footing but cannot speak for the roughly two thousand U.S. counties that have no monitor at all. For a fuller picture, open the individual county profiles below and compare the primary pollutant, the share of Good days, and the five-year trend for the places that matter to you.
Counties Monitored
26
Avg Good Days %
68.7%
Avg Median AQI
43
Total Unhealthy Days
4
Best Air Quality
Dawson County
Worst Air Quality
Bibb County
Which counties in Georgia have the cleanest and most polluted air?
Cleanest counties in Georgia
| County | Good % | Median AQI | Max AQI | Unhealthy Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson | 94.4% | 35 | 97 | 0 |
| Rockdale | 93.8% | 36 | 90 | 0 |
| Cobb | 92.5% | 36 | 74 | 0 |
| Murray | 90.7% | 39 | 112 | 0 |
| Pike | 88.2% | 39 | 93 | 0 |
| Glynn | 81.9% | 39 | 94 | 0 |
| Douglas | 81.6% | 40 | 97 | 0 |
| Charlton | 79.0% | 24 | 61 | 0 |
| Henry | 74.7% | 41 | 74 | 0 |
| Floyd | 72.0% | 38 | 78 | 0 |
| Coffee | 69.1% | 44 | 78 | 0 |
| Chatham | 66.7% | 44 | 90 | 0 |
| Clarke | 66.7% | 44 | 89 | 0 |
| Gwinnett | 64.5% | 45 | 84 | 0 |
| DeKalb | 61.8% | 46 | 90 | 0 |
| Houston | 61.6% | 44 | 93 | 0 |
| Muscogee | 59.6% | 46 | 166 | 2 |
| Washington | 57.9% | 47 | 82 | 0 |
| Fulton | 55.8% | 49 | 129 | 0 |
| Dougherty | 55.6% | 46 | 115 | 0 |
| Walker | 55.1% | 46 | 181 | 2 |
| Hall | 55.0% | 46 | 82 | 0 |
| Clayton | 53.1% | 49 | 74 | 0 |
| Richmond | 52.8% | 49 | 130 | 0 |
| Lowndes | 51.9% | 49 | 88 | 0 |
| Bibb | 49.5% | 51 | 119 | 0 |
Reading Georgia's air quality
A statewide average is a starting point, not a verdict, what matters is the county you actually breathe in.
- Open your county's profile for its primary pollutant, Good-day share, and where it sits among 26 monitored counties. County profiles
- Dawson County (94.4% Good days) and Bibb County (49.5%) bracket the range, compare both before drawing a conclusion. See the cleanest
- New to the scale? The AQI guide explains what a median of 43 means for sensitive groups. Understand AQI
Figures count only days each EPA monitor reported; roughly two thousand U.S. counties have no monitor and are not represented. Data: EPA AQS annual summaries, 2020–2025.
Explore Georgia air quality
Dig into the cleanest and most-polluted counties, metro areas, and national rankings.
Cleanest county
Dawson County
94.4% good-air days, median AQI 35.
Most polluted county
Bibb County
49.5% good-air days, median AQI 51.
Metro areas
Metro air quality
AQI summaries for U.S. metropolitan statistical areas.
National rankings
Cleanest & worst air
How Georgia counties rank against the rest of the country.
Air Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Georgia? ▼
Which county in Georgia has the best air quality? ▼
Which county in Georgia has the worst air quality? ▼
How many counties in Georgia have air quality monitors? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Georgia have? ▼
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: 26 counties in Georgia 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 PlainAir 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.