State air quality · 2025

Michigan Air Quality Ranking

Across 27 monitored counties, the typical county in Michigan posts a median AQI of 38 (Good) and 74.7% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

38
Avg median AQI
74.7%
Good-air days
27
Counties monitored
40%
Cleaner than US states

Michigan's typical county median AQI is 38 (Good) across 27 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Michigan monitors 27 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 74.7%. Cleanest: Wexford County (94.2% Good). Most polluted: Wayne County (36.2%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
Michigan's day-weighted Good-day share of 74.7% places it cleaner than 40% of US states.
In-state spread
Within Michigan, Keweenaw County leads at 100.0% Good days while Wayne County sits at 36.2% across 27 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
Michigan's Good-day share moved -1.1 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 38

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

The verdict

According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, across 27 monitored counties, Michigan averages a good median AQI of 38, more polluted than the median US state, with 74.7% of its monitored days in the Good band, but the gap between Wexford and Wayne County is the real story.

38
avg median AQI · Good
74.7%
of monitored days in the Good band
16/27
counties ≥75% Good days
40%
cleaner than other states

Cleanest: Wexford County (94.2% Good days). Most polluted: Wayne County (36.2%).

Data updated August 2026

Michigan: 27 monitored counties (2025), avg median AQI 38 (Good), 74.7% good-air days, 27 total unhealthy days (0.3%). Best: Wexford County (94.2%). Worst: Wayne County (36.2%). Worst single reading: AQI 193. 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

74.7%

Good-day share in 2025, down 1.1 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 38, within half a point of the 2024 county-mean median.

Pollutant mix

Ozone

Main driver on 55.7% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • Ozone 55.7%
  • PM2.5 43.4%
  • PM10 0.8%
  • NO2 0.1%

Monitoring coverage

301

Average monitored days per county in the latest release. 2 of 27 counties sit below the 100-day floor used for cleanest/most-polluted claims.

Counties Monitored

27

Good Days %

74.7%

Avg Median AQI

38

Total Unhealthy Days

27

Best Air Quality

Wexford County

Worst Air Quality

Wayne County

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

Cleanest counties in Michigan

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

  1. 1 Keweenaw County 100%
  2. 2 Monroe County 94.9%
  3. 3 Wexford County 94.2%
  4. 4 Tuscola County 91.9%
  5. 5 Benzie County 91.1%
  6. 6 Clinton County 90.2%
  7. 7 Huron County 89.6%
  8. 8 Mason County 89.2%
  9. 9 Missaukee County 86.9%
  10. 10 Cass County 85.3%
  11. 11 Muskegon County 83.5%
  12. 12 Schoolcraft County 83.4%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Keweenaw 100.0% 8
Monroe 94.9% 18
Wexford 94.2% 36
Tuscola 91.9% 35
Benzie 91.1% 35
Clinton 90.2% 39
Huron 89.6% 38
Mason 89.2% 36
Missaukee 86.9% 35
Cass 85.3% 40
Muskegon 83.5% 39
Schoolcraft 83.4% 33
Genesee 83.2% 38
Marquette 82.4% 19
Berrien 80.9% 41
Manistee 79.5% 33
Ingham 72.6% 38
Ottawa 71.2% 40
Bay 70.4% 39
Macomb 70.1% 40
St. Clair 69.6% 39
Lenawee 69.3% 41
Washtenaw 69.3% 41
Oakland 69.1% 41
Allegan 63.9% 44
Kalamazoo 61.4% 43
Kent 41.9% 52
Wayne 36.2% 54

Reading Michigan'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 27 monitored counties. County profiles
  • Wexford County (94.2% Good days) and Wayne County (36.2%) bracket the range, compare both before drawing a conclusion. See the cleanest
  • New to the scale? The AQI guide explains what a median of 38 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 Michigan 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 Michigan?
Michigan has 27 counties with EPA air quality monitoring. The median AQI in the typical monitored county is 38, and 74.7% of the state's monitored days were rated Good.
Which county in Michigan has the best air quality?
Wexford County has the best air quality in Michigan based on EPA AQS data. Counties are ranked by the percentage of monitored days with "Good" AQI (0-50).
Which county in Michigan has the worst air quality?
Wayne County has the worst air quality in Michigan. The state recorded 27 total unhealthy air days across all 27 monitored counties.
How many counties in Michigan have air quality monitors?
27 counties in Michigan 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 Michigan have?
Michigan recorded 27 Unhealthy-or-worse air days across all 27 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 Michigan's AQI most often?
Across Michigan's monitored counties in the latest EPA annual release, Ozone was the main driver on 55.7% of pollutant-assigned days (4,697 of 8,432). That is a day-count share of the EPA main-pollutant assignment, not a concentration ranking.
Did Michigan's air quality improve in 2025?
Day-weighted Good-day share is 74.7%, down 1.1 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI is 38, 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: 27 counties in Michigan 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.