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
| County | Good % | Median AQI | Max AQI | Unhealthy Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keweenaw | 100.0% | 8 | 31 | 0 |
| Monroe | 94.9% | 18 | 77 | 0 |
| Wexford | 94.2% | 36 | 93 | 0 |
| Tuscola | 91.9% | 35 | 112 | 0 |
| Benzie | 91.1% | 35 | 80 | 0 |
| Clinton | 90.2% | 39 | 119 | 0 |
| Huron | 89.6% | 38 | 108 | 0 |
| Mason | 89.2% | 36 | 87 | 0 |
| Missaukee | 86.9% | 35 | 133 | 0 |
| Cass | 85.3% | 40 | 115 | 0 |
| Muskegon | 83.5% | 39 | 140 | 0 |
| Schoolcraft | 83.4% | 33 | 167 | 2 |
| Genesee | 83.2% | 38 | 126 | 0 |
| Marquette | 82.4% | 19 | 193 | 6 |
| Berrien | 80.9% | 41 | 147 | 0 |
| Manistee | 79.5% | 33 | 167 | 3 |
| Ingham | 72.6% | 38 | 153 | 1 |
| Ottawa | 71.2% | 40 | 159 | 1 |
| Bay | 70.4% | 39 | 139 | 0 |
| Macomb | 70.1% | 40 | 166 | 2 |
| St. Clair | 69.6% | 39 | 152 | 1 |
| Lenawee | 69.3% | 41 | 147 | 0 |
| Washtenaw | 69.3% | 41 | 152 | 1 |
| Oakland | 69.1% | 41 | 166 | 2 |
| Allegan | 63.9% | 44 | 151 | 2 |
| Kalamazoo | 61.4% | 43 | 156 | 1 |
| Kent | 41.9% | 52 | 163 | 2 |
| Wayne | 36.2% | 54 | 156 | 3 |
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.
Cleanest county
Keweenaw County
100.0% good-air days, median AQI 8.
Most polluted county
Wayne County
36.2% good-air days, median AQI 54.
Metro areas
Metro air quality
AQI summaries for U.S. metropolitan statistical areas.
National rankings
Cleanest & worst air
How Michigan counties rank against the rest of the country.
Air Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Michigan? ▼
Which county in Michigan has the best air quality? ▼
Which county in Michigan has the worst air quality? ▼
How many counties in Michigan have air quality monitors? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Michigan have? ▼
What pollutant drives Michigan's AQI most often? ▼
Did Michigan's air quality improve in 2025? ▼
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.