State air quality · 2024
Idaho Air Quality
Across 19 monitored counties, Idaho averages a median AQI of 30 (Good) and 85.1% good-air days, from EPA AQS.
- 30
- Avg median AQI
- 85.1%
- Good-air days
- 19
- Counties monitored
- 79%
- Cleaner than US states
Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →
The verdict
According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, across 19 monitored counties, Idaho averages a good median AQI of 30, cleaner than most US states, with 85.1% of days in the Good band, but the gap between Custer and Shoshone County is the real story.
- 30
- avg median AQI · Good
- 85.1%
- days in the Good band
- 14/19
- counties ≥75% Good days
- 79%
- cleaner than other states
Cleanest: Custer County (100.0% Good days). Most polluted: Shoshone County (65.7%).
Data updated July 2026
Idaho: 19 monitored counties (2024), avg median AQI 30 (Good), 85.1% good-air days, 0 total unhealthy days (0.0%). Best: Custer County (100.0%). Worst: Shoshone County (65.7%). Worst single reading: AQI 111. 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
19
Avg Good Days %
85.1%
Avg Median AQI
30
Total Unhealthy Days
0
Best Air Quality
Custer County
Worst Air Quality
Shoshone County
Which counties in Idaho have the cleanest and most polluted air?
Cleanest counties in Idaho
| County | Good % | Median AQI | Max AQI | Unhealthy Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer | 100.0% | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| Blaine | 99.4% | 22 | 56 | 0 |
| Latah | 99.3% | 24 | 52 | 0 |
| Twin Falls | 97.2% | 24 | 105 | 0 |
| Franklin | 95.8% | 22 | 82 | 0 |
| Bonneville | 94.9% | 19 | 68 | 0 |
| Bannock | 91.5% | 31 | 111 | 0 |
| Kootenai | 88.4% | 24 | 71 | 0 |
| Butte | 87.4% | 44 | 77 | 0 |
| Canyon | 87.2% | 30 | 65 | 0 |
| Nez Perce | 84.0% | 29 | 89 | 0 |
| Ada | 80.6% | 39 | 97 | 0 |
| Idaho | 79.8% | 39 | 84 | 0 |
| Valley | 78.1% | 32 | 94 | 0 |
| Benewah | 74.6% | 37 | 92 | 0 |
| Boise | 72.9% | 43 | 82 | 0 |
| Bonner | 71.3% | 41 | 74 | 0 |
| Lemhi | 69.1% | 23 | 85 | 0 |
| Shoshone | 65.7% | 37 | 111 | 0 |
Reading Idaho'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 19 monitored counties. County profiles
- Custer County (100.0% Good days) and Shoshone County (65.7%) bracket the range, compare both before drawing a conclusion. See the cleanest
- New to the scale? The AQI guide explains what a median of 30 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 Idaho air quality
Dig into the cleanest and most-polluted counties, metro areas, and national rankings.
Cleanest county
Custer County
100.0% good-air days, median AQI 3.
Most polluted county
Shoshone County
65.7% good-air days, median AQI 37.
Metro areas
Metro air quality
AQI summaries for U.S. metropolitan statistical areas.
National rankings
Cleanest & worst air
How Idaho counties rank against the rest of the country.
Air Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Idaho? ▼
Which county in Idaho has the best air quality? ▼
Which county in Idaho has the worst air quality? ▼
How many counties in Idaho have air quality monitors? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Idaho 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: 19 counties in Idaho 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.