Which county in Georgia has the best air quality?

Based on 2024 EPA AQS data, Charlton County had the best air quality in Georgia with a median AQI of 27 and 109 good-air days.

2024 monitoring year Public dataset EPA AQS

Georgia Air Quality Rankings

Compiled by PlainEnviro Editorial, Environmental Data Editorial Team · July 13, 2026

County-level AQI rollup using EPA Air Quality System monitor records. Refreshed as new EPA AQS data lands.

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County-by-county air quality data for Georgia based on EPA AQS annual AQI readings. Data covers 29 monitored counties for 2024.

Georgia (2024): 29 counties monitored. State average median AQI: 44 (national average: 38.8). 68% of monitored days rated "Good." Most unhealthy air: Dawson County (1 days above AQI 100).

Georgia air quality on this page is drawn from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which aggregates daily readings from federal, state, tribal, and local monitors into annual summaries per county. The current dataset covers 29 Georgia counties with at least ten days of valid AQI readings in 2024, out of the state's total monitored counties.

The state-average median AQI across those counties is 44, compared with a national average of 38.8 in the same reporting period. On average, 68% of monitored days fell into the "Good" AQI bucket (0–50). The heaviest burden of unhealthy days lands on Dawson County (1 day above AQI 100), while Charlton County records the cleanest air with a median AQI of 27.

AQI values translate ambient concentrations of pollutants (ozone, PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, SO₂, CO) onto a single 0–500 scale with six health-based bands. A low median AQI reflects typical daily conditions; peak values matter separately because short-term exposure drives most acute health effects. Counties without monitors are not "clean" - they are simply unmeasured by EPA AQS. For site-specific exposure guidance, check AirNow.gov alongside the county detail links below.

Counties with Data

State Avg Median AQI

National Avg Median AQI

38.8

Avg Good Days %

68%

Which Georgia counties have the worst air quality?

Ranked by median AQI (higher = worse). Click a county for full environmental data.

#	County	Median AQI	Good Days	Good %	Unhealthy Days	Peak AQI
1	Gwinnett	53	159	43%	1	161
2	Hall	52	176	48%	0	100
3	Walker	52	165	45%	0	98
4	Dekalb	51	178	49%	0	133
5	Richmond	51	176	49%	0	105
6	Bibb	51	179	49%	0	123
7	Fulton	50	186	51%	0	129
8	Muscogee	49	193	53%	0	127
9	Cobb	48	202	55%	0	86
10	Clarke	46	222	61%	0	126
11	Clayton	45	124	56%	0	128
12	Dougherty	45	227	62%	0	121
13	Washington	44	221	61%	0	101
14	Chatham	44	232	64%	0	130
15	Lowndes	44	212	62%	1	154
16	Houston	43	247	68%	0	105
17	Coffee	43	240	67%	0	137
18	Douglas	41	208	85%	0	133
19	Murray	41	234	84%	0	77
20	Henry	40	269	74%	0	133
21	Rockdale	39	218	89%	0	115
22	Pike	39	301	86%	0	126
23	Dawson	39	225	92%	1	154
24	Chattooga	39	231	96%	0	77
25	Glynn	39	286	78%	0	84
26	Floyd	38	256	71%	0	89
27	Sumter	38	228	93%	0	84
28	Columbia	36	162	94%	0	90
29	Charlton	27	109	94%	0	81

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality like in Georgia?

In 2024, Georgia had an average median AQI of 44 across 29 monitored counties, with 68% of monitored days rated "Good" (AQI 0–50). The national average median AQI is 38.8.

Which county in Georgia has the worst air quality?

Based on 2024 EPA AQS data, Dawson County had the most unhealthy air days in Georgia - 1 days above AQI 100, with a median AQI of 39.

Explore More

National AQI Rankings → Georgia Full Profile → Georgia Water Quality →

About This Data

Air quality data is from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by County dataset. Counties with fewer than 10 monitored days are excluded. "Unhealthy days" counts days with AQI above 100 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse). All data is for 2024.

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

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro Editorial