Where to Go When You Need Cleaner Air
When poor air quality keeps you indoors, a change of scenery can carry real hope. Explore 53 A+ rated communities through AirQualityByZip.com and discover places to consider for your next getaway or a new place to call home.
Places to consider for your next getaway or a new place to call home
San Antonio, Texas - When poor air quality keeps you indoors, the question of where to go becomes personal. You may want a vacation where spending time outside feels more inviting. You may be looking for a community where air quality deserves as much attention as the price of a home. If you live with asthma, breathing sensitivities or the daily frustration of polluted air, that search can carry real hope.
AirQualityByZip.com gives you a place to begin. Built by the National Data System using Environmental Protection Agency air-quality records spanning 2016 through 2025, the site helps you explore the air-quality history of places across the country. You can bring that history into decisions about a weekend away, an extended visit or a possible move.
Its leading communities offer choices in 23 states. All 53 at the top of the rankings earned an A+ grade, and 41 show 100% Good Days among the reported AQI days represented in the ranking. Their typical air-quality readings are comfortably within the Good category. For your search, that means a list of promising places to explore.
Rosebud County, Montana, leads with a score of 96.69. Carbon County, Wyoming, follows at 96.65, and Custer County, Idaho, places third at 96.05. Sonoma County, California, and Navajo County, Arizona, round out the first five. Those names give you several starting points, whether you are drawn to the West or considering a different setting for daily life.
Ten places to put on your list
| Rank | Community | Score | Good Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosebud County, Montana | 96.69 | 100.00% |
| 2 | Carbon County, Wyoming | 96.65 | 100.00% |
| 3 | Custer County, Idaho | 96.05 | 100.00% |
| 4 | Sonoma County, California | 96.02 | 100.00% |
| 5 | Navajo County, Arizona | 95.66 | 99.63% |
| 6 | Gallatin County, Montana | 95.10 | 99.12% |
| 7 | Uinta County, Wyoming | 94.98 | 100.00% |
| 8 | Alexandria, Virginia | 94.01 | 100.00% |
| 9 | Stoddard County, Missouri | 93.93 | 100.00% |
| 10 | Lake County, California | 93.55 | 100.00% |
Source: AirQualityByZip.com. National ranks are among 1,049 scored counties and county equivalents. ZIP profiles use the air-quality history of their associated county.
What these places have in common is a favorable history of air-quality readings and a high share of Good Days. Their settings give you room to choose the kind of place you enjoy. Western counties appear frequently, but the list also includes coastal destinations, smaller communities and city living. Cleaner-air options come in more than one form.
If the West appeals to you, start with Montana’s seven A+ entries: Rosebud, Gallatin, Lake, Powell, Roosevelt, Beaverhead and Sheridan counties. Wyoming adds Carbon, Uinta and Park counties. Idaho’s Custer County ranks third nationally, with Jerome and Bonneville also among the leading 53. You can use those names to build a shortlist for your next visit.
If you prefer a coastal or island setting, California offers Sonoma and Marin counties. Kauai, Hawaii, ranks No. 27 with a score of 92.09 and 100% Good Days. Maui also earns an A+ grade. In Washington, Pacific, Skagit, Thurston and Grays Harbor counties offer more places to explore. You do not have to choose the highest-ranked destination to find a highly rated place that fits your life.
If you want a city on your list, consider Alexandria, Virginia. It ranks No. 8 with a score of 94.01 and 100% Good Days. Winchester and Fredericksburg also earn A+ grades, ranking No. 28 and No. 29. Their presence gives you city options alongside the counties that dominate the list.
For another set of possibilities, look at Cook and Cass counties in Minnesota, Keweenaw County in Michigan, or Windham County in Vermont. Alaska’s Bethel and Kenai Peninsula also appear among the A+ entries. The variety lets you consider air quality alongside the climate, distance from family and everyday surroundings you prefer.
For a Texas option, put Karnes County on your list. It ranks No. 40, with a score of 90.75, a median AQI of 4 and 100% Good Days. If you are based in San Antonio, it gives you a place within Texas to explore before considering a move farther away. It is the state’s highest-ranked county in this comparison.
A visit can help you discover whether a place suits you. Spend time in the community you are considering and pay attention to how you feel during ordinary activities. If relocation is on your mind, bring housing costs, access to healthcare and the season you would live there into the decision. Air quality can help shape your shortlist while you decide what makes a place workable for you.
Historical ratings help you choose where to explore; check current local air conditions before your visit, because weather and smoke can change conditions even in a highly rated place.
Whether you are choosing a short getaway or imagining a different place to call home,
AirQualityByZip.com can help you take that first step. Start with a place that interests you, explore its profile and give yourself the chance to discover somewhere that may feel more comfortable.
