The 15 cities in the US with the worst air quality, ranked
Mikhaila Friel  Â
- IQAir's air quality report ranked the world's most and least polluted areas.
- The report revealed 92.5% of countries and only 9% of cities met WHO's PM2.5 guidelines in 2023.
Swiss company IQAir ranked the most and least polluted countries and cities in the world in a recent air quality report.
Unlike some other rankings, IQAir, which sells air-purification products, based its report entirely on PM2.5 levels, a type of small-particle pollution that has been linked to heart and lung issues.
According to the report, 92.5% of countries have too much PM2.5. And only 9% of cities surveyed achieved WHO's guidelines of acceptable PM2.5 levels in 2023.
In a statement sent to Business Insider, the organization said it used publicly available data, including from low-cost sensors and government-operated regulation stations, to monitor PM2.5 levels in 2,933 US cities between January and December of 2023.
Cities in Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado were among the least polluted in the US.
Meanwhile, cities in California, Georgia, and Iowa were named the most polluted, as shown in the below ranking.
Only cities with populations over 50,000 were included in this ranking.
Baldwin Park, California
Population: 69,455.
Baldwin Park in San Gabriel Valley, California, was the most polluted city in the 2023 report.
The city is well known for its public parks and diverse range of restaurants.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in the city are 2.2 times the WHO annual air quality guideline.
San Bernardino, California
Population: 220,328.
San Bernardino in southern California was the second overall most polluted city in the 2023 report. At the time of writing, PM2.5 concentration in San Bernardino is 1.7 times the WHO annual air quality guideline.
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Population: 107,763.
Sandy Springs is roughly a 35-minute drive to the city of Atlanta and is surrounded by 950 acres of parks and natural areas.
Though it was ranked the fourth most polluted city in 2023, PM2.5 levels in Sandy Springs met the WHO annual air quality guidelines as of April 2024.
Dubuque, Iowa
Population: 58,873.
Dubuque is a small city in Dubuque County on the Mississippi River. It is located in the Tri-State Area of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in Dubuque meets WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Columbus, Ohio
Population: 907,971.
PM2.5 levels in Columbus are currently 1.4 times the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Smyrna, Georgia
Population: 56,160.
Smyrna is located around 10 miles northwest of Atlanta. Though it's a small city, it likely welcomes a lot of traffic since it is surrounded by three interstate highways.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in Smyrna meet the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Wheaton, Illinois
Population: 52,984.
Wheaton is located in DuPage County, around 26 miles west of Chicago.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in Wheaton meet the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
West Des Moines, Iowa
Population: 70,741.
West Des Moines was among the top 15 cities with the most PM2.5 levels in 2023. However, according to the Lung Association, it ranked extremely low for levels of ozone pollution.
Exposure to ozone pollution, also known as "smog," can cause breathing difficulty and aggregate health conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
PM2.5, meanwhile, can get deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream. It is known to cause premature death in people with heart or lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, and other lung and heart problems, the agency said.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in West Des Moines meet WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Population: 267,927.
Fort Wayne in Allen County is Indiana's second-largest city.
PM2.5 levels in Fort Wayne are currently 1.1 times the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Dearborn, Michigan
Population: 107,710.
PM2.5 levels in Dearborn are also currently 1.9 times the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Population: 57,453.
Lancaster is a small city in Pennsylvania with good train links to major cities like Philadelphia and New York. Just outside the city, there is the oldest Amish settlement in the country.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in Lancaster are 2.6 times the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
La Habra, California
Population: 61,978.
PM2.5 levels in La Habra, Orange County, are 1.9 times the WHO annual air quality guidelines at the time of writing.
Ontario, California
Population: 179,061.
PM2.5 levels in Ontario, a southern city located in San Bernardino county, are currently 2.5 times the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Population: 62,405.
PM2.5 levels in Council Bluffs,Pottawattamie County, currently meet the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
Diamond Bar, California
Population: 52,855.
Diamond Bar is a small city in Los Angeles county. It was the US' 15th most polluted city in 2023.
At the time of writing, PM2.5 levels in Diamond Bar meet the WHO annual air quality guidelines.
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