Air quality history by county in North Carolina
EPA reported a daily Air Quality Index for 62 countys in North Carolina in at least one year from 1980 to 2025. In 2025, 33 countys had fuller monitoring; across them the median of county median AQI values was 39, about the same as the national figure of 40. Martin had the highest share of Good days (100%).
Select a county for its year-by-year AQI history, charts and data notes. Click a column heading to sort.
| Years covered | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance | 2015 | 153 | 67% | 42 | 56 | 1993–2015 |
| Alexander | 2025 | 245 | 93% | 38 | 49 | 1982–2025 |
| Avery | 2025 | 258 | 92% | 38 | 49 | 1990–2025 |
| Beaufort | 1997 | 47 | 100% | 14 | 23 | 1993–1997 |
| Brunswick | 1990 | 85 | 100% | 19 | 31 | 1988–1990 |
| Buncombe | 2025 | 365 | 73% | 40 | 57 | 1980–2025 |
| Burke | 1994 | 360 | 75% | 41 | 80 | 1991–1994 |
| Cabarrus | 2004 | 121 | 25% | 58 | 82 | 1992–2004 |
| Caldwell | 2025 | 245 | 97% | 36 | 46 | 1981–2025 |
| Camden | 2004 | 209 | 76% | 43 | 74 | 1988–2004 |
| Carteret | 2025 | 345 | 96% | 35 | 46 | 1994–2025 |
| Caswell | 2025 | 245 | 95% | 37 | 47 | 1993–2025 |
| Catawba | 2025 | 347 | 69% | 42 | 58 | 1992–2025 |
| Chatham | 2015 | 212 | 93% | 38 | 49 | 1987–2015 |
| Cumberland | 2025 | 365 | 69% | 44 | 57 | 1981–2025 |
| Davidson | 2025 | 343 | 46% | 51 | 61 | 1992–2025 |
| Davie | 2014 | 214 | 77% | 44 | 64 | 1982–2014 |
| Duplin | 2015 | 326 | 82% | 34 | 55 | 1992–2015 |
| Durham | 2025 | 365 | 72% | 42 | 57 | 1980–2025 |
| Edgecombe | 2025 | 365 | 84% | 38 | 53 | 1983–2025 |
| Forsyth | 2025 | 365 | 64% | 45 | 63 | 1980–2025 |
| Franklin | 2015 | 211 | 81% | 43 | 58 | 1993–2015 |
| Gaston | 2014 | 351 | 64% | 43 | 57 | 1992–2015 |
| Graham | 2025 | 245 | 90% | 41 | 51 | 2003–2025 |
| Granville | 2025 | 238 | 93% | 39 | 49 | 1980–2025 |
| Guilford | 2025 | 365 | 75% | 41 | 56 | 1980–2025 |
| Halifax | 1997 | 59 | 97% | 19 | 34 | 1992–1997 |
| Harnett | 2000 | 60 | 100% | 23 | 40 | 1990–2000 |
| Haywood | 2025 | 263 | 89% | 43 | 51 | 1982–2025 |
| Henderson | 2009 | 53 | 100% | 12 | 19 | 1994–2009 |
| Hyde | 2025 | 97 | 97% | 24 | 44 | 2000–2025 |
| Jackson | 2018 | 237 | 74% | 43 | 67 | 1999–2021 |
| Johnston | 2025 | 365 | 78% | 41 | 56 | 1983–2025 |
| Jones | 1983 | 322 | 86% | 32 | 54 | 1980–1983 |
| Lee | 2018 | 210 | 45% | 52 | 63 | 2013–2018 |
| Lenoir | 2025 | 245 | 98% | 35 | 47 | 1998–2025 |
| Lincoln | 2025 | 242 | 90% | 41 | 51 | 1982–2025 |
| Macon | 2025 | 348 | 97% | 32 | 44 | 1990–2025 |
| Martin | 2025 | 289 | 100% | 31 | 41 | 1983–2025 |
| McDowell | 2015 | 337 | 65% | 41 | 57 | 1990–2015 |
| Mecklenburg | 2025 | 365 | 48% | 51 | 63 | 1980–2025 |
| Mitchell | 2025 | 357 | 82% | 31 | 54 | 1990–2025 |
| Montgomery | 2025 | 363 | 82% | 39 | 53 | 1982–2025 |
| Nash | 2003 | 26 | 58% | 37 | 74 | 2003–2003 |
| New Hanover | 2025 | 365 | 77% | 41 | 55 | 1980–2025 |
| Northampton | 2025 | 351 | 78% | 33 | 55 | 1995–2025 |
| Onslow | 2007 | 120 | 57% | 47 | 65 | 1990–2007 |
| Orange | 2006 | 122 | 29% | 55 | 76 | 1994–2008 |
| Pasquotank | 2001 | 132 | 40% | 53 | 74 | 1990–2003 |
| Person | 2025 | 237 | 96% | 36 | 47 | 1982–2025 |
| Pitt | 2025 | 365 | 88% | 37 | 52 | 1982–2025 |
| Randolph | 2004 | 214 | 70% | 43 | 84 | 2001–2004 |
| Robeson | 2014 | 120 | 56% | 47 | 59 | 1982–2014 |
| Rockingham | 2025 | 243 | 95% | 38 | 47 | 1982–2025 |
| Rowan | 2025 | 365 | 74% | 43 | 57 | 1992–2025 |
| Swain | 2025 | 365 | 81% | 37 | 54 | 1995–2025 |
| Union | 2025 | 245 | 91% | 40 | 50 | 1999–2025 |
| Wake | 2025 | 365 | 68% | 43 | 58 | 1980–2025 |
| Watauga | 2015 | 226 | 83% | 30 | 55 | 1994–2015 |
| Wayne | 2015 | 197 | 32% | 53 | 69 | 1990–2015 |
| Wilson | 1997 | 46 | 98% | 17 | 31 | 1992–1997 |
| Yancey | 2024 | 204 | 82% | 44 | 58 | 1992–2024 |
Latest year is the most recent year with at least 120 monitored days, or the most recent year available if none qualifies. Counties without EPA AQI monitoring do not appear.
Source: U.S. EPA AirData, “Annual AQI by County” files for 1980–2025 (EPA download page). EPA file dates: 2026-06-26. Imported into EnviroNearby November 5, 2026. How we use this data · Report a problem