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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

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.