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Best for Air Quality

Cleanest air per EPA AQS — lowest median AQI and fewest unhealthy days.

Top 72 Cities

  1. #1
    B

    Anchorage, AK

    Best for Air Quality score 95 · MoveScore 71

  2. #2
    F

    Tuscaloosa, AL

    Best for Air Quality score 95 · MoveScore 48

  3. #3
    B

    Hartford, CT

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 74

  4. #4
    C

    Spokane, WA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 68

  5. #5
    B

    Arlington, VA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 78

  6. #6
    C

    Lafayette, LA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 66

  7. #7
    C

    Lubbock, TX

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 62

  8. #8
    C

    New York, NY

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 66

  9. #9
    C

    Providence, RI

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 60

  10. #10
    C

    Pueblo, CO

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 67

  11. #11
    C

    San Francisco, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 64

  12. #12
    A

    Delaware, OH

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 87

  13. #13
    A

    Elkhart, IN

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 80

  14. #14
    C

    Erie, PA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 61

  15. #15
    C

    Frederick, MD

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 68

  16. #16
    B

    Honolulu, HI

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 71

  17. #17
    C

    Lorain, OH

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 60

  18. #18
    C

    Napa, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 67

  19. #19
    C

    Passaic, NJ

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 68

  20. #20
    B

    Roanoke, VA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 73

  21. #21
    B

    Santa Barbara, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 78

  22. #22
    B

    Santa Cruz, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 78

  23. #23
    B

    Sarasota, FL

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 74

  24. #24
    B

    Twin Falls, ID

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 78

  25. #25
    C

    Victoria, TX

    Best for Air Quality score 80 · MoveScore 67

  26. #26
    C

    Denver, CO

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 62

  27. #27
    B

    Durham, NC

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 71

  28. #28
    C

    Baltimore, MD

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 60

  29. #29
    B

    Charleston, SC

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 71

  30. #30
    C

    Dallas, TX

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 65

  31. #31
    B

    Greenville, SC

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 71

  32. #32
    B

    Kenosha, WI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 71

  33. #33
    B

    Milwaukee, WI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 75

  34. #34
    D

    Mobile, AL

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 51

  35. #35
    C

    Montgomery, AL

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 67

  36. #36
    C

    New Haven, CT

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 64

  37. #37
    C

    Philadelphia, PA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 62

  38. #38
    C

    Tulsa, OK

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 68

  39. #39
    C

    Worcester, MA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 68

  40. #40
    C

    Albany, NY

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 63

  41. #41
    B

    Denton, TX

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 78

  42. #42
    B

    Eau Claire, WI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 75

  43. #43
    D

    Kalamazoo, MI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 55

  44. #44
    C

    Peoria, IL

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 64

  45. #45
    B

    Racine, WI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 73

  46. #46
    C

    Sacramento, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 61

  47. #47
    B

    Santa Fe, NM

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 76

  48. #48
    D

    Yakima, WA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 54

  49. #49
    C

    Alameda, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 61

  50. #50
    C

    Boise, ID

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 69

  51. #51
    D

    Camden, NJ

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 50

  52. #52
    C

    Carson City, NV

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 68

  53. #53
    C

    Galveston, TX

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 63

  54. #54
    C

    Hamilton, OH

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 63

  55. #55
    B

    La Crosse, WI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 72

  56. #56
    C

    Lancaster, PA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 65

  57. #57
    F

    Merced, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 49

  58. #58
    A

    Missoula, MT

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 81

  59. #59
    C

    Monterey, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 65

  60. #60
    D

    Orange, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 58

  61. #61
    D

    Santa Clara, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 58

  62. #62
    C

    Spartanburg, SC

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 68

  63. #63
    B

    Waukesha, WI

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 73

  64. #64
    D

    Yuma, AZ

    Best for Air Quality score 65 · MoveScore 56

  65. #65
    C

    Fresno, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 61

  66. #66
    F

    Jackson, MS

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 44

  67. #67
    D

    Los Angeles, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 57

  68. #68
    C

    San Diego, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 61

  69. #69
    C

    Boulder, CO

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 60

  70. #70
    D

    El Paso, TX

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 52

  71. #71
    C

    Riverside, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 50 · MoveScore 61

  72. #72
    F

    San Bernardino, CA

    Best for Air Quality score 30 · MoveScore 48

Browse by State

Best for Air Quality ranked within each state.

Air Quality in AlabamaAir Quality in AlaskaAir Quality in ArizonaAir Quality in ArkansasAir Quality in CaliforniaAir Quality in ColoradoAir Quality in ConnecticutAir Quality in District of ColumbiaAir Quality in FloridaAir Quality in GeorgiaAir Quality in HawaiiAir Quality in IdahoAir Quality in IllinoisAir Quality in IndianaAir Quality in IowaAir Quality in KansasAir Quality in KentuckyAir Quality in LouisianaAir Quality in MarylandAir Quality in MassachusettsAir Quality in MichiganAir Quality in MinnesotaAir Quality in MississippiAir Quality in MissouriAir Quality in MontanaAir Quality in NebraskaAir Quality in NevadaAir Quality in New HampshireAir Quality in New JerseyAir Quality in New MexicoAir Quality in New YorkAir Quality in North CarolinaAir Quality in North DakotaAir Quality in OhioAir Quality in OklahomaAir Quality in OregonAir Quality in PennsylvaniaAir Quality in Rhode IslandAir Quality in South CarolinaAir Quality in South DakotaAir Quality in TennesseeAir Quality in TexasAir Quality in UtahAir Quality in VirginiaAir Quality in WashingtonAir Quality in West VirginiaAir Quality in WisconsinAir Quality in Wyoming

Other Rankings

Best Overall Cities

Highest MoveScore composite — safest overall balance of all six livability dimensions.

Best for Safety

Lowest crime rates per FBI UCR — best for families sensitive to violent and property crime.

Best for Water Quality

Cleanest drinking water per EPA SDWIS — fewest violations, highest safety scores.

Best for Public Schools

Strongest public school performance per NCES/EDFacts — highest average proficiency.

Best Fiscal Health

Strongest municipal fiscal health per Census ASPEP — sustainable per-capita spending.

Best for Hospital Care

Highest-rated hospitals per CMS HCAHPS — best patient experience scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the top-ranked US city for air quality?

The top-ranked city on Best for Air Quality is Anchorage, AK with a sub-score of 95/100. All rankings use federal government data only.

How is this ranking calculated?

Cleanest air per EPA AQS — lowest median AQI and fewest unhealthy days. Sub-scores are normalized to 0-100, then cities are ordered from highest to lowest. See the methodology page for the full formula.

Where does the data come from?

MoveScore blends six federal data streams: FBI UCR, EPA SDWIS, EPA AQS, NCES CCD + EDFacts, Census ASPEP, and CMS HCAHPS. A city is included only if at least three of the six sources have a record for it.

Sources: FBI UCR, EPA SDWIS, EPA AQS, NCES, Census ASPEP, CMS HCAHPS
Last updated:

Ranking uses the individual air sub-score, normalized to 0-100.