The American Lung Association’s 2025 “State of the Air” report just revealed which cities in the United States had the best and worst air quality from 2021 through 2023.
According to the organization’s research, nearly half of Americans (45%) in the U.S. were breathing air with toxic pollution levels. The number – a whopping 156 million people – is allegedly 25 million more than in the American Lung Association’s 2024 annual report.
The cities with the worst air quality were given “F” grades. The report included rankings for smog, year-round spikes in particle pollution, and short-term spikes in particle pollution. This year’s report, covering the 2021-2023 time period, claimed that 42.5 million people in the U.S. lived in areas that received a failing grade in all three air pollution categories.
California was a hotspot for poor air quality. Bakersfield-Delano, Visalia, Fresno-Hanford-Corcoran, and Los Angeles-Long Beach – all in The Golden State – were on the Top 10 most polluted cities lists for all three measures.
Regarding the worst smog, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Salt Lake City, Denver, San Diego, and Phoenix were all included in that top 10 list.
What Else Should I Know About The Air Pollution In U.S. Cities?
This year’s report noted that people of color are disproportionately living with toxic air. The American Lung Association pointed out that non-white people in America are over “twice as likely as a white individual to live in a community with a failing grade on all three pollution measures.”
The 2024 report had five cities that made all three lists for the lowest air pollution levels. However, this year only had two – Bangor, Maine, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The source mentioned that overall, there has been a worsening of air quality across the country.
“Families across the U.S. are dealing with the health impacts of air pollution every day. And extreme heat and wildfires are making it worse. Air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, making people who work outdoors sick, and leading to low birth weight in babies. This year’s report shows the dramatic impact that air pollution has on a growing number of people,” said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer.
Wimmer added that federal budget and staff cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency were detrimental to the U.S. air quality and public health.
