State air quality · 2025

Nebraska Air Quality Ranking

Across 11 monitored counties, the typical county in Nebraska posts a median AQI of 32 (Good) and 85.0% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

32
Avg median AQI
85.0%
Good-air days
11
Counties monitored
88%
Cleaner than US states

Nebraska's typical county median AQI is 32 (Good) across 11 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Nebraska monitors 11 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 85.0%. Cleanest: Cass County (95.9% Good). Most polluted: Douglas County (71.0%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
Nebraska's day-weighted Good-day share of 85.0% places it cleaner than 88% of US states.
In-state spread
Within Nebraska, Cass County leads at 95.9% Good days while Douglas County sits at 71.0% across 11 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
Nebraska's Good-day share moved +5.7 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 32

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

EPA state monitoring brief

AQS state key NEBRASKA

Nebraska · 2025 EPA AQS · 11 counties · med AQI 32 · 85.0% Good · Cass→Douglas spread

  • GOOD 32 Median AQI · Good
  • SHARE 85.0% Good-day share
  • COUNT 11 Counties monitored
  • UNH 0 Unhealthy+ days
  • RANK 88% Cleaner than states
  • PM25 57.0% Main pollutant share
Wyoming85.1%Nebraska (this)85%New Hampshire84.9%Alaska84.4%
Good-day share neighbourhood · nearest ABS peers vs Nebraska

Nebraska's 85.0% Good-day share is cleaner than 88% of monitored US states; Cass and Douglas County bracket the in-state range. Open Cass County →

According to EPA AQS annual summaries on PlainAirData, Nebraska ranks #6 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (85.0%) and #7 by mean county median AQI (31.6). Hawaii is #1 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (93.8% of monitored days) at mean county median-AQI #4 (27.3) ≠ Alaska #1 lowest mean county median AQI (20.3) at good-day share #8 (84.4%).

Data updated August 2026

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

85.0%

Good-day share in 2025, up 5.7 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 32, within half a point of the 2024 county-mean median.

Pollutant mix

PM2.5

Main driver on 57.0% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • PM2.5 57.0%
  • Ozone 32.1%
  • PM10 10.9%

Monitoring coverage

301

Average monitored days per county in the latest release. 1 of 11 counties sit below the 100-day floor used for cleanest/most-polluted claims.

Counties Monitored

11

Good Days %

85.0%

Avg Median AQI

32

Total Unhealthy Days

0

Best Air Quality

Cass County

Worst Air Quality

Douglas County

Where Nebraska sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 52 US states with at least 365 monitored days in the latest county release. Nebraska's day-weighted Good-day share is 85.0% - cleaner than 88% of that comparison set.

Nebraska Good-day share vs. every US state

Day-weighted share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release

85.0% Cleaner than 88% higher than 88% of 52 US states

0.0%–5.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 5.0%–10.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 10.0%–15.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 15.0%–20.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 20.0%–25.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 25.0%–30.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 30.0%–35.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 35.0%–40.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 40.0%–45.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 45.0%–50.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 50.0%–55.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 55.0%–60.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 60.0%–65.0%: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 65.0%–70.0%: 9 US states (17%). Below this entry. 70.0%–75.0%: 11 US states (21%). Below this entry. 75.0%–80.0%: 11 US states (21%). Below this entry. 80.0%–85.0%: 13 US states (25%). Below this entry. 85.0%–90.0%: 5 US states (10%). This entry sits in this band. 90.0%–95.0%: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 95.0%–100.0%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 100.0%–105.0%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 0.0% 100% every floor-qualified US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (AQS) · 2025

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

Cleanest counties in Nebraska

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

  1. 1 Cass County 95.9%
  2. 2 Scotts Bluff County 95.8%
  3. 3 Thomas County 92.4%
  4. 4 Knox County 92%
  5. 5 Sioux County 87.4%
  6. 6 Washington County 86.6%
  7. 7 Lancaster County 85.4%
  8. 8 Hall County 82.5%
  9. 9 Sarpy County 78.8%
  10. 10 Gage County 75.8%
  11. 11 Douglas County 71%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Cass 95.9% 19
Scotts Bluff 95.8% 23
Thomas 92.4% 22
Knox 92.0% 36
Sioux 87.4% 42
Washington 86.6% 27
Lancaster 85.4% 37
Hall 82.5% 34
Sarpy 78.8% 32
Gage 75.8% 34
Douglas 71.0% 42

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: 11 counties in Nebraska 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 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.