Minnesota Air Quality Rankings
County-level AQI rollup using EPA Air Quality System monitor records. Refreshed as new EPA AQS data lands.
County-by-county air quality data for Minnesota based on EPA AQS annual AQI readings. Data covers 22 monitored counties for 2024.
Minnesota (2024): 22 counties monitored. State average median AQI: 36 (national average: 38.8). 81% of monitored days rated "Good." Most unhealthy air: Cass County (1 days above AQI 100).
Minnesota 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 22 Minnesota 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 36, compared with a national average of 38.8 in the same reporting period. On average, 81% of monitored days fell into the "Good" AQI bucket (0–50). The heaviest burden of unhealthy days lands on Cass County (1 day above AQI 100), while Cook County records the cleanest air with a median AQI of 16.
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.
Which Minnesota counties have the worst air quality?
Ranked by median AQI (higher = worse). Click a county for full environmental data.
| # | County | Median AQI | Unhealthy Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Earth | 45 | 0 |
| 2 | Olmsted | 44 | 1 |
| 3 | Hennepin | 42 | 1 |
| 4 | Scott | 42 | 0 |
| 5 | Anoka | 41 | 0 |
| 6 | Wright | 41 | 0 |
| 7 | Lyon | 40 | 0 |
| 8 | St Louis | 39 | 0 |
| 9 | Stearns | 39 | 0 |
| 10 | Goodhue | 38 | 0 |
| 11 | Dakota | 38 | 1 |
| 12 | Crow Wing | 38 | 0 |
| 13 | Ramsey | 36 | 0 |
| 14 | Mille Lacs | 36 | 0 |
| 15 | Becker | 36 | 1 |
| 16 | Beltrami | 36 | 1 |
| 17 | Washington | 35 | 0 |
| 18 | Carlton | 34 | 0 |
| 19 | Lake | 32 | 0 |
| 20 | Cass | 27 | 1 |
| 21 | Winona | 20 | 0 |
| 22 | Cook | 16 | 0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality like in Minnesota?
In 2024, Minnesota had an average median AQI of 36 across 22 monitored counties, with 81% of monitored days rated "Good" (AQI 0–50). The national average median AQI is 38.8.
Which county in Minnesota has the worst air quality?
Based on 2024 EPA AQS data, Cass County had the most unhealthy air days in Minnesota - 1 days above AQI 100, with a median AQI of 27.
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.