State air quality · 2025

West Virginia Air Quality Ranking

Across 13 monitored counties, the typical county in West Virginia posts a median AQI of 39 (Good) and 78.2% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

39
Avg median AQI
78.2%
Good-air days
13
Counties monitored
58%
Cleaner than US states

West Virginia's typical county median AQI is 39 (Good) across 13 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, West Virginia monitors 13 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 78.2%. Cleanest: Tucker County (94.2% Good). Most polluted: Marshall County (63.7%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
West Virginia's day-weighted Good-day share of 78.2% places it cleaner than 58% of US states.
In-state spread
Within West Virginia, Tucker County leads at 94.2% Good days while Marshall County sits at 63.7% across 13 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
West Virginia's Good-day share moved -1.0 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 39

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

The verdict

According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, across 13 monitored counties, West Virginia averages a good median AQI of 39, cleaner than the median US state, with 78.2% of its monitored days in the Good band, but the gap between Tucker and Marshall County is the real story.

39
avg median AQI · Good
78.2%
of monitored days in the Good band
7/13
counties ≥75% Good days
58%
cleaner than other states

Cleanest: Tucker County (94.2% Good days). Most polluted: Marshall County (63.7%).

Data updated August 2026

West Virginia: 13 monitored counties (2025), avg median AQI 39 (Good), 78.2% good-air days, 0 total unhealthy days (0.0%). Best: Tucker County (94.2%). Worst: Marshall County (63.7%). Worst single reading: AQI 105. 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

78.2%

Good-day share in 2025, down 1.0 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 39, 0.6 points lower (cleaner) than 2024.

Pollutant mix

PM2.5

Main driver on 50.4% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • PM2.5 50.4%
  • Ozone 49.6%

Monitoring coverage

279

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

Counties Monitored

13

Good Days %

78.2%

Avg Median AQI

39

Total Unhealthy Days

0

Best Air Quality

Tucker County

Worst Air Quality

Marshall County

Which counties in West Virginia have the cleanest and most polluted air?

Cleanest counties in West Virginia

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

  1. 1 Tucker County 94.2%
  2. 2 Greenbrier County 93%
  3. 3 Berkeley County 83.6%
  4. 4 Wood County 82.9%
  5. 5 Ohio County 80.9%
  6. 6 Monongalia County 79.8%
  7. 7 Kanawha County 77%
  8. 8 Marion County 74.2%
  9. 9 Brooke County 73.1%
  10. 10 Harrison County 72.4%
  11. 11 Hancock County 69.9%
  12. 12 Cabell County 69.5%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Tucker 94.2% 36
Greenbrier 93.0% 37
Berkeley 83.6% 39
Wood 82.9% 39
Ohio 80.9% 40
Monongalia 79.8% 42
Kanawha 77.0% 39
Marion 74.2% 37
Brooke 73.0% 36
Harrison 72.4% 33
Hancock 69.9% 42
Cabell 69.5% 42
Marshall 63.7% 42

Reading West Virginia'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 13 monitored counties. County profiles
  • Tucker County (94.2% Good days) and Marshall County (63.7%) bracket the range, compare both before drawing a conclusion. See the cleanest
  • New to the scale? The AQI guide explains what a median of 39 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia?
West Virginia has 13 counties with EPA air quality monitoring. The median AQI in the typical monitored county is 39, and 78.2% of the state's monitored days were rated Good.
Which county in West Virginia has the best air quality?
Tucker County has the best air quality in West Virginia based on EPA AQS data. Counties are ranked by the percentage of monitored days with "Good" AQI (0-50).
Which county in West Virginia has the worst air quality?
Marshall County has the worst air quality in West Virginia. The state recorded 0 total unhealthy air days across all 13 monitored counties.
How many counties in West Virginia have air quality monitors?
13 counties in West Virginia 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 West Virginia have?
West Virginia recorded 0 Unhealthy-or-worse air days across all 13 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 West Virginia's AQI most often?
Across West Virginia's monitored counties in the latest EPA annual release, PM2.5 was the main driver on 50.4% of pollutant-assigned days (1,830 of 3,629). That is a day-count share of the EPA main-pollutant assignment, not a concentration ranking.
Did West Virginia's air quality improve in 2025?
Day-weighted Good-day share is 78.2%, down 1.0 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI is 39, 0.6 points lower (cleaner) than 2024. 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: 13 counties in West Virginia 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.