State air quality · 2025

Rhode Island Air Quality Ranking

Across 3 monitored counties, the typical county in Rhode Island posts a median AQI of 36 (Good) and 83.0% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

36
Avg median AQI
83.0%
Good-air days
3
Counties monitored
77%
Cleaner than US states

Rhode Island's typical county median AQI is 36 (Good) across 3 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Rhode Island monitors 3 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 83.0%. Cleanest: Kent County (92.8% Good). Most polluted: Providence County (73.4%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
Rhode Island's day-weighted Good-day share of 83.0% places it cleaner than 77% of US states.
In-state spread
Within Rhode Island, Kent County leads at 92.8% Good days while Providence County sits at 73.4% across 3 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
Rhode Island's Good-day share moved -4.1 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 36

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

EPA state monitoring brief

AQS state key RHODE-ISLAND

Rhode Island · 2025 EPA AQS · 3 counties · med AQI 36 · 83.0% Good · Kent→Providence spread

  • GOOD 36 Median AQI · Good
  • SHARE 83.0% Good-day share
  • COUNT 3 Counties monitored
  • UNH 1 Unhealthy+ days
  • RANK 77% Cleaner than states
  • PM25 60.5% Main pollutant share

Good-day share peers

Vermont83.8%Massachusetts83.1%Rhode Island (this)83%Washington82.2%
Good-day share neighbourhood · nearest ABS peers vs Rhode Island

Rhode Island's 83.0% Good-day share is cleaner than 77% of monitored US states; Kent and Providence County bracket the in-state range. Open Kent County →

According to EPA AQS annual summaries on PlainAirData, Rhode Island ranks #12 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (83.0%) and #15 by mean county median AQI (35.7). 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

83.0%

Good-day share in 2025, down 4.1 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 36, 1.0 points higher (worse) than 2024.

Pollutant mix

PM2.5

Main driver on 60.5% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • PM2.5 60.5%
  • Ozone 38.6%
  • NO2 0.7%
  • PM10 0.1%

Monitoring coverage

364

Average monitored days per county in the latest release. Every monitored county clears the 100-day ranking floor.

Counties Monitored

3

Good Days %

83.0%

Avg Median AQI

36

Total Unhealthy Days

1

Best Air Quality

Kent County

Worst Air Quality

Providence County

Where Rhode Island sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 52 US states with at least 365 monitored days in the latest county release. Rhode Island's day-weighted Good-day share is 83.0% - cleaner than 77% of that comparison set.

Rhode Island Good-day share vs. every US state

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

83.0% Cleaner than 77% higher than 77% 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%). This entry sits in this band. 85.0%–90.0%: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 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 Rhode Island have the cleanest and most polluted air?

Cleanest counties in Rhode Island

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

  1. 1 Kent County 92.8%
  2. 2 Washington County 82.7%
  3. 3 Providence County 73.4%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Kent 92.8% 31
Washington 82.7% 37
Providence 73.4% 39

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: 3 counties in Rhode Island 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.