Air pollution threatens the health of 12.8 million people across 102 districts in Illinois. The average PM2.5 level is 10.1 µg/m³—2.0× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Illinois faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 12.8 million across 102 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.1µg/m³. That's 2.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 168 cigarettes in a year.
If Illinois met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.51 years longer.
That's 6.5M years of life stolen from 12.8 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 10 most polluted districts in Illinois. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
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.
Complete air quality data for every district in Illinois, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | 5.3M | 10.8 | 0.6 years |
| Dupage | 1.0M | 10.9 | 0.6 years |
| Lake | 705K | 9.9 | 0.5 years |
| Will | 671K | 10.8 | 0.6 years |
| Kane | 501K | 10.4 | 0.5 years |
| Winnebago | 291K | 9.9 | 0.5 years |
| McHenry | 279K | 9.8 | 0.5 years |
| Madison | 263K | 9.3 | 0.4 years |
| Saint Clair | 245K | 9.6 | 0.4 years |
| Sangamon | 218K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Champaign | 212K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Peoria | 198K | 9.2 | 0.4 years |
| McLean | 178K | 8.8 | 0.4 years |
| Rock Island | 152K | 9.9 | 0.5 years |
| Tazewell | 127K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Kendall | 120K | 9.9 | 0.5 years |
| La Salle | 106K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Macon | 106K | 8.7 | 0.4 years |
| Kankakee | 106K | 8.8 | 0.4 years |
| De Kalb | 98K | 9.1 | 0.4 years |
| Vermilion | 71K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Adams | 67K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Williamson | 67K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Jackson | 54K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Whiteside | 53K | 9.0 | 0.4 years |
| Grundy | 53K | 9.4 | 0.4 years |
| Boone | 50K | 9.5 | 0.4 years |
| Coles | 50K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Knox | 48K | 8.7 | 0.4 years |
| Ogle | 48K | 9.2 | 0.4 years |
| Henry | 44K | 8.8 | 0.4 years |
| Stephenson | 43K | 9.3 | 0.4 years |
| Jefferson | 39K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Macoupin | 38K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Effingham | 37K | 8.8 | 0.4 years |
| Livingston | 36K | 8.6 | 0.3 years |
| Marion | 35K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Clinton | 35K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Franklin | 34K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Woodford | 34K | 8.6 | 0.4 years |
| Morgan | 33K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Christian | 32K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Lee | 32K | 9.0 | 0.4 years |
| Fulton | 30K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Monroe | 30K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Bureau | 30K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Randolph | 30K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Montgomery | 27K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Logan | 27K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| McDonough | 26K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Iroquois | 24K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Saline | 23K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Jo Daviess | 20K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Douglas | 20K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Perry | 19K | 8.5 | 0.3 years |
| Fayette | 19K | 8.6 | 0.4 years |
| Crawford | 18K | 8.7 | 0.4 years |
| Jersey | 18K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Shelby | 17K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Union | 16K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Warren | 16K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Edgar | 16K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Richland | 16K | 8.6 | 0.4 years |
| Hancock | 15K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Lawrence | 15K | 8.5 | 0.3 years |
| Wayne | 15K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Bond | 14K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| De Witt | 14K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Carroll | 14K | 9.3 | 0.4 years |
| Piatt | 14K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Clark | 14K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Ford | 13K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Cass | 13K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| White | 13K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Pike | 13K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Moultrie | 13K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Clay | 13K | 8.5 | 0.3 years |
| Johnson | 12K | 7.2 | 0.2 years |
| Massac | 12K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Washington | 12K | 8.5 | 0.3 years |
| Mercer | 12K | 8.5 | 0.3 years |
| Mason | 11K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Wabash | 11K | 8.6 | 0.4 years |
| Greene | 10K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Marshall | 10K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Menard | 10K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Cumberland | 9K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Jasper | 7K | 8.8 | 0.4 years |
| Brown | 7K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Hamilton | 7K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Schuyler | 6K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Edwards | 6K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Pulaski | 5K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Putnam | 5K | 9.0 | 0.4 years |
| Henderson | 5K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Stark | 5K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Gallatin | 4K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Alexander | 4K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Scott | 4K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Calhoun | 3K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Pope | 3K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Hardin | 3K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
Showing 102 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.