Breathing in Georgia is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 11.1 million people across 159 districts in Georgia. The average PM2.5 level is 8.9 µg/m³—1.8× higher than the WHO guideline.

AboutMake Air Quality Great AgainAQLI Data

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Georgia

Georgia faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 11.1 million across 159 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.9µg/m³. That's 1.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 148 cigarettes in a year.

Trends

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Health Impact

Life Expectancy Impact

If Georgia met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.39 years longer.

That's 4.3M years of life stolen from 11.1 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Most Polluted

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Georgia. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Fulton
    0.5 years lost
  • 2.Gwinnett
    0.5 years lost
  • 3.Muscogee
    0.5 years lost
  • 4.DeKalb
    0.4 years lost
  • 5.Cobb
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Clayton
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Forsyth
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Richmond
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Bibb
    0.4 years lost
  • 10.Chattahoochee
    0.4 years lost
Exposure

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.

< 5 µg/m³
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
100%
11.1M
10-15 µg/m³
0%
0
15-25 µg/m³
0%
0
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 159 Districts in Georgia

Complete air quality data for every district in Georgia, sorted by population.

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Fulton1.3M
9.8
0.5 years
Gwinnett961K
9.8
0.5 years
Cobb803K
9.4
0.4 years
DeKalb772K
9.5
0.4 years
Chatham327K
8.6
0.3 years
Clayton310K
9.4
0.4 years
Cherokee251K
8.8
0.4 years
Forsyth250K
9.4
0.4 years
Richmond237K
9.2
0.4 years
Muscogee233K
9.7
0.5 years
Henry233K
8.7
0.4 years
Hall216K
8.9
0.4 years
Bibb178K
9.0
0.4 years
Houston171K
8.6
0.4 years
Clarke149K
8.6
0.3 years
Paulding146K
8.6
0.4 years
Columbia146K
8.9
0.4 years
Coweta140K
8.3
0.3 years
Douglas139K
8.9
0.4 years
Lowndes128K
8.4
0.3 years
Carroll123K
8.2
0.3 years
Fayette121K
8.6
0.4 years
Whitfield120K
8.7
0.4 years
Bartow114K
8.9
0.4 years
Floyd106K
8.8
0.4 years
Newton105K
8.3
0.3 years
Dougherty99K
8.6
0.4 years
Rockdale93K
8.6
0.4 years
Walton92K
8.2
0.3 years
Glynn90K
7.9
0.3 years
Bulloch87K
7.7
0.3 years
Jackson82K
8.4
0.3 years
Barrow79K
8.5
0.3 years
Troup77K
8.6
0.4 years
Liberty72K
7.6
0.3 years
Spalding69K
8.2
0.3 years
Catoosa63K
8.8
0.4 years
Walker61K
8.3
0.3 years
Gordon59K
8.6
0.4 years
Effingham58K
7.5
0.2 years
Camden54K
7.1
0.2 years
Laurens53K
8.2
0.3 years
Thomas50K
8.3
0.3 years
Tift48K
8.7
0.4 years
Habersham47K
7.6
0.3 years
Baldwin47K
8.6
0.3 years
Coffee45K
8.4
0.3 years
Colquitt45K
8.7
0.4 years
Oconee44K
8.2
0.3 years
Bryan43K
7.7
0.3 years
Polk42K
8.0
0.3 years
Ware40K
8.0
0.3 years
Murray37K
8.3
0.3 years
Lumpkin32K
7.8
0.3 years
Peach31K
8.0
0.3 years
Gilmer31K
7.9
0.3 years
Harris31K
8.2
0.3 years
Pickens30K
8.0
0.3 years
Wayne30K
7.5
0.2 years
Sumter30K
8.1
0.3 years
Decatur29K
8.0
0.3 years
Haralson28K
8.0
0.3 years
Lee28K
8.1
0.3 years
Dawson28K
8.1
0.3 years
Toombs28K
8.0
0.3 years
Burke27K
7.9
0.3 years
Stephens27K
7.6
0.3 years
Upson27K
7.8
0.3 years
White27K
7.7
0.3 years
Madison26K
7.8
0.3 years
Monroe26K
8.1
0.3 years
Union25K
7.8
0.3 years
Fannin25K
7.6
0.3 years
Butts25K
8.0
0.3 years
Hart25K
7.9
0.3 years
Grady24K
8.2
0.3 years
Chattooga24K
8.2
0.3 years
Jones24K
8.3
0.3 years
Emanuel24K
7.9
0.3 years
Franklin23K
7.8
0.3 years
Putnam22K
8.2
0.3 years
Mitchell22K
8.2
0.3 years
McDuffie21K
8.2
0.3 years
Tattnall21K
7.6
0.3 years
Morgan21K
7.9
0.3 years
Washington21K
8.1
0.3 years
Crisp20K
8.5
0.3 years
Greene20K
8.1
0.3 years
Dodge19K
8.1
0.3 years
Meriwether19K
7.9
0.3 years
Elbert19K
8.0
0.3 years
Pierce19K
7.6
0.3 years
Lamar18K
7.8
0.3 years
Ben Hill18K
8.4
0.3 years
Appling18K
8.0
0.3 years
Worth18K
8.5
0.3 years
Rabun17K
7.7
0.3 years
Pike17K
7.5
0.2 years
Berrien17K
8.5
0.3 years
Cook16K
8.4
0.3 years
Banks16K
7.6
0.3 years
Brantley16K
7.1
0.2 years
Jefferson15K
8.0
0.3 years
Chattahoochee15K
9.0
0.4 years
Jeff Davis15K
8.3
0.3 years
Brooks15K
7.8
0.3 years
Dade15K
8.1
0.3 years
Towns14K
7.8
0.3 years
Screven14K
7.3
0.2 years
Bleckley13K
7.8
0.3 years
Jasper13K
7.9
0.3 years
Long13K
7.3
0.2 years
Telfair12K
8.1
0.3 years
Oglethorpe12K
7.9
0.3 years
Charlton12K
6.7
0.2 years
Evans11K
7.5
0.2 years
Macon11K
8.0
0.3 years
Bacon11K
8.1
0.3 years
Early11K
7.6
0.3 years
Candler11K
7.6
0.3 years
Dooly10K
8.1
0.3 years
Crawford10K
7.8
0.3 years
Heard10K
8.0
0.3 years
Seminole9K
7.9
0.3 years
Pulaski9K
8.2
0.3 years
Irwin9K
8.5
0.3 years
Wilkes9K
7.7
0.3 years
Wilkinson9K
8.6
0.3 years
McIntosh9K
6.9
0.2 years
Turner9K
8.3
0.3 years
Lanier9K
8.5
0.3 years
Hancock8K
7.9
0.3 years
Wilcox8K
8.4
0.3 years
Johnson8K
7.9
0.3 years
Jenkins8K
7.7
0.3 years
Terrell8K
7.5
0.2 years
Atkinson7K
8.5
0.3 years
Taylor7K
7.8
0.3 years
Wheeler7K
8.0
0.3 years
Montgomery7K
7.8
0.3 years
Twiggs7K
8.2
0.3 years
Clinch7K
7.9
0.3 years
Marion6K
7.7
0.3 years
Lincoln6K
8.1
0.3 years
Randolph6K
7.5
0.2 years
Miller6K
8.1
0.3 years
Treutlen6K
7.8
0.3 years
Calhoun5K
7.5
0.2 years
Stewart5K
7.8
0.3 years
Warren5K
8.1
0.3 years
Talbot4K
7.8
0.3 years
Schley4K
7.9
0.3 years
Echols3K
8.1
0.3 years
Clay3K
8.0
0.3 years
Glascock2K
7.8
0.3 years
Baker2K
8.0
0.3 years
Quitman2K
8.1
0.3 years
Webster2K
7.8
0.3 years
Taliaferro1K
7.7
0.3 years

Showing 159 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.