State air quality · 2025

Georgia Air Quality Ranking

Across 26 monitored counties, the typical county in Georgia posts a median AQI of 43 (Good) and 65.0% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

43
Avg median AQI
65.0%
Good-air days
26
Counties monitored
13%
Cleaner than US states

Georgia's typical county median AQI is 43 (Good) across 26 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Georgia monitors 26 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 65.0%. Cleanest: Dawson County (95.1% Good). Most polluted: Bibb County (42.7%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
Georgia's day-weighted Good-day share of 65.0% places it cleaner than 13% of US states.
In-state spread
Within Georgia, Chattooga County leads at 96.3% Good days while Bibb County sits at 42.7% across 26 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
Georgia's Good-day share moved -0.6 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 43

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 65.0% of its monitored days in the Good band, but the gap between Dawson and Bibb County is the real story.

43
avg median AQI · Good
65.0%
of monitored days in the Good band
11/26
counties ≥75% Good days
13%
cleaner than other states

Cleanest: Dawson County (95.1% Good days). Most polluted: Bibb County (42.7%).

Data updated August 2026

Georgia: 26 monitored counties (2025), avg median AQI 43 (Good), 65.0% good-air days, 4 total unhealthy days (0.0%). Best: Dawson County (95.1%). Worst: Bibb County (42.7%). 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.

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

65.0%

Good-day share in 2025, down 0.6 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 43, within half a point of the 2024 county-mean median.

Pollutant mix

PM2.5

Main driver on 66.5% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • PM2.5 66.5%
  • Ozone 33.0%
  • NO2 0.5%

Monitoring coverage

306

Average monitored days per county in the latest release. 1 of 26 counties sit below the 100-day floor used for cleanest/most-polluted claims.

Counties Monitored

26

Good Days %

65.0%

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

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

  1. 1 Chattooga County 96.3%
  2. 2 Dawson County 95.1%
  3. 3 Rockdale County 94.6%
  4. 4 Columbia County 94.2%
  5. 5 Cobb County 93.5%
  6. 6 Sumter County 93.4%
  7. 7 Charlton County 92.6%
  8. 8 Murray County 90.3%
  9. 9 Pike County 88.9%
  10. 10 Douglas County 85.3%
  11. 11 Henry County 75.6%
  12. 12 Glynn County 74.3%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Chattooga 96.3% 39
Dawson 95.1% 34
Rockdale 94.6% 36
Columbia 94.2% 36
Cobb 93.5% 35
Sumter 93.4% 38
Charlton 92.6% 27
Murray 90.3% 39
Pike 88.9% 38
Douglas 85.3% 39
Henry 75.6% 39
Glynn 74.3% 41
Floyd 69.7% 38
Coffee 67.7% 44
Houston 61.0% 46
Washington 60.7% 46
Chatham 58.6% 47
DeKalb 58.4% 47
Gwinnett 58.3% 47
Clarke 57.8% 46
Hall 57.7% 46
Dougherty 57.3% 46
Muscogee 54.5% 48
Fulton 54.3% 49
Clayton 54.1% 48
Walker 53.4% 48
Lowndes 51.2% 49
Richmond 46.9% 52
Bibb 42.7% 52

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 (95.1% Good days) and Bibb County (42.7%) 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.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in Georgia?
Georgia has 26 counties with EPA air quality monitoring. The median AQI in the typical monitored county is 43, and 65.0% of the state's monitored days were rated Good.
Which county in Georgia has the best air quality?
Dawson County has the best air quality in Georgia based on EPA AQS data. Counties are ranked by the percentage of monitored days with "Good" AQI (0-50).
Which county in Georgia has the worst air quality?
Bibb County has the worst air quality in Georgia. The state recorded 4 total unhealthy air days across all 26 monitored counties.
How many counties in Georgia have air quality monitors?
26 counties in Georgia have active EPA Air Quality System (AQS) monitoring stations. Only counties with monitors are included in AQI data. Unmonitored counties are not represented.
How many unhealthy air days does Georgia have?
Georgia recorded 4 Unhealthy-or-worse air days across all 26 monitored counties. These include days rated Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, or Hazardous on the EPA AQI scale; Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups days are not included in this count.
What pollutant drives Georgia's AQI most often?
Across Georgia's monitored counties in the latest EPA annual release, PM2.5 was the main driver on 66.5% of pollutant-assigned days (5,901 of 8,878). That is a day-count share of the EPA main-pollutant assignment, not a concentration ranking.
Did Georgia's air quality improve in 2025?
Day-weighted Good-day share is 65.0%, down 0.6 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI is 43, within half a point of the 2024 county-mean median. These are annual EPA summaries, not today's AirNow reading.

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

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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.