State air quality · 2024
Indiana Air Quality
Across 33 monitored counties, Indiana averages a median AQI of 42 (Good) and 71.0% good-air days, from EPA AQS.
- 42
- Avg median AQI
- 71.0%
- Good-air days
- 33
- Counties monitored
- 25%
- Cleaner than US states
Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →
The verdict
According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, across 33 monitored counties, Indiana averages a good median AQI of 42, more polluted than the median US state, with 71.0% of days in the Good band, but the gap between Brown and Lake County is the real story.
- 42
- avg median AQI · Good
- 71.0%
- days in the Good band
- 10/33
- counties ≥75% Good days
- 25%
- cleaner than other states
Cleanest: Brown County (94.5% Good days). Most polluted: Lake County (38.8%).
Data updated July 2026
Indiana: 33 monitored counties (2024), avg median AQI 42 (Good), 71.0% good-air days, 7 total unhealthy days (0.1%). Best: Brown County (94.5%). Worst: Lake County (38.8%). Worst single reading: AQI 219. 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
33
Avg Good Days %
71.0%
Avg Median AQI
42
Total Unhealthy Days
7
Best Air Quality
Brown County
Worst Air Quality
Lake County
Which counties in Indiana have the cleanest and most polluted air?
Cleanest counties in Indiana
| County | Good % | Median AQI | Max AQI | Unhealthy Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | 94.5% | 37 | 77 | 0 |
| Wabash | 93.9% | 37 | 87 | 0 |
| Knox | 93.1% | 38 | 93 | 0 |
| Perry | 90.4% | 38 | 84 | 0 |
| Hendricks | 90.1% | 38 | 90 | 0 |
| Shelby | 89.3% | 37 | 105 | 0 |
| Carroll | 87.8% | 37 | 105 | 0 |
| Posey | 87.8% | 39 | 105 | 0 |
| Boone | 86.9% | 38 | 112 | 0 |
| Warrick | 83.5% | 40 | 97 | 0 |
| Greene | 74.9% | 41 | 90 | 0 |
| Monroe | 71.8% | 36 | 84 | 0 |
| Madison | 71.1% | 42 | 122 | 0 |
| Tippecanoe | 70.7% | 39 | 95 | 0 |
| Bartholomew | 69.2% | 44 | 97 | 0 |
| Henry | 68.8% | 38 | 95 | 0 |
| Dubois | 67.2% | 39 | 88 | 0 |
| Whitley | 65.7% | 38 | 108 | 0 |
| Spencer | 64.8% | 42 | 88 | 0 |
| Vanderburgh | 63.9% | 44 | 100 | 0 |
| Floyd | 63.9% | 46 | 126 | 0 |
| Delaware | 63.4% | 44 | 108 | 0 |
| St. Joseph | 63.0% | 44 | 127 | 0 |
| Porter | 62.4% | 44 | 136 | 0 |
| LaPorte | 62.3% | 44 | 153 | 1 |
| Vigo | 62.0% | 45 | 108 | 0 |
| Howard | 61.5% | 46 | 122 | 0 |
| Elkhart | 61.0% | 44 | 132 | 0 |
| Clark | 59.7% | 46 | 133 | 0 |
| Hamilton | 58.5% | 47 | 118 | 0 |
| Allen | 58.2% | 45 | 115 | 0 |
| Marion | 43.3% | 53 | 170 | 2 |
| Lake | 38.8% | 53 | 219 | 4 |
Reading Indiana'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 33 monitored counties. County profiles
- Brown County (94.5% Good days) and Lake County (38.8%) bracket the range, compare both before drawing a conclusion. See the cleanest
- New to the scale? The AQI guide explains what a median of 42 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 Indiana air quality
Dig into the cleanest and most-polluted counties, metro areas, and national rankings.
Cleanest county
Brown County
94.5% good-air days, median AQI 37.
Most polluted county
Lake County
38.8% good-air days, median AQI 53.
Metro areas
Metro air quality
AQI summaries for U.S. metropolitan statistical areas.
National rankings
Cleanest & worst air
How Indiana counties rank against the rest of the country.
Air Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Indiana? ▼
Which county in Indiana has the best air quality? ▼
Which county in Indiana has the worst air quality? ▼
How many counties in Indiana have air quality monitors? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Indiana 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: 33 counties in Indiana 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.