Most polluted areas of US mapped as millions of Americans breathe toxic air every day

A report from the American Lung Association found 2025 has the worst pollution over the last 10 years. This comes after strides were made over the years to decrease pollution

19:22 ET, 24 Apr 2025

Firefighters put out burning embers in the Fresno County community of Bald Mountain, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, on September 11, 2020. - The Creek Fire which began near Shaver Lake and exploded on Labour Day weekend has now reached 6 percent containment with 175,000 acres burned. More than 20,000 firefighters from across the United States on September 11 battled sprawling deadly wildfires up and down the West Coast as the arrival of cooler weather offered hope of a respite. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

The American Lung Association released its 2025 State of the Air report(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

There are millions of people across the US that are living in cities with unhealthy air, and the number is growing year after year.

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The American Lung Association released its 2025 State of the Air report, which found that 46% of Americans live in cities that have received failing grades for unhealthy levels of pollution.

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There are several factors contributing to the pollution, like vehicle use and factories. One major cause this year was deadly wildfires that swept across the US, like those in Los Angeles in January. Fires broke out in New Jersey this week, and the smoke has moved over New York.

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The number has grown over the years as well. The report finds that 156.1 million people are living in cities with failing grades for unhealthy levels of pollution, which is up 25 million from last year.

Cities with the worst daily particulate matter pollution

Bakersfield, California
Fairbanks, Arkansas
Eugene-Springfield, Oregon
Visalia, California
Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
Reno-Carson City-Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada-California
Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
Yakima, Washington
Seattle-Tacoma, Washington
Sacramento-Roseville, California

Consistently living in an area with poor air quality has been linked to elevated risk for illness and death. Researchers have found connections between exposure to pollution and developing heart disease, stroke, influenza and pneumonia.

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And the burden of living in unhealthy air is not shared between all demographics. Communities of color, especially hispanic communities, are disproportionately more likely to live in a city with high levels of pollution.

Container trucks head north and south on the Interstate 5 highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, passing through the central California valleys and San Joaquin, the state's agricultural breadbasket, on April 9, 2025. Trump's decision to pause worldwide tariffs on April 9 capped an extraordinary week of global panic since he announced the levies on what he called "Liberation Day." After repeatedly denying that he was considering a halt, the first sign that something was up came as markets braced for another brutal session. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

There are several factors that lead to pollution, from wildfires to vehicle use(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

This comes after strides have been made over the years to decrease pollution. This year, more people are breathing unhealthy air than any other time in the last 10 years.

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The report reads: “From the beginning, the findings in 'State of the Air' have reflected the successes of the Clean Air Act, as emissions from transportation, power plants and manufacturing have been reduced over time.

“Over the last decade, however, the findings of the report have added to the extensive evidence that a changing climate is making it harder to protect this hard-fought progress on air quality and human health.”

A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of unincorporated Fresno County, California early on September 8, 2020. - Wildfires in California have torched a record more than two million acres, the state fire department said on September 7, as smoke hampered efforts to airlift dozens of people trapped by an uncontrolled blaze. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Wildfires have contributed to worsening air quality(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

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There still are communities across the US where you can get a deep breath of fresh air.

Cities with the least annual particulate matter pollution are

Casper, Wyoming
Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii
Bozeman, Montana
Bangor, Maine
St. George, Utah
Anchorage, Alaska
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado

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