Breathing in Iowa is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 3.3 million people across 99 districts in Iowa. The average PM2.5 level is 8.7 µg/m³—1.7× higher than the WHO guideline.

AboutMake Air Quality Great AgainAQLI Data

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Iowa

Iowa faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.3 million across 99 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.7µg/m³. That's 1.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 144 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 Iowa met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.36 years longer.

That's 1.2M years of life stolen from 3.3 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 Iowa. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Scott
    0.5 years lost
  • 2.Johnson
    0.5 years lost
  • 3.Linn
    0.4 years lost
  • 4.Clinton
    0.4 years lost
  • 5.Polk
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Muscatine
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Dubuque
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Allamakee
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Benton
    0.4 years lost
  • 10.Clayton
    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%
3.3M
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 99 Districts in Iowa

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Polk550K
9.1
0.4 years
Linn250K
9.5
0.4 years
Scott186K
9.9
0.5 years
Johnson163K
9.8
0.5 years
Black Hawk143K
8.7
0.4 years
Woodbury109K
8.2
0.3 years
Dubuque107K
9.1
0.4 years
Story106K
8.3
0.3 years
Dallas104K
8.6
0.3 years
Pottawattamie95K
8.2
0.3 years
Muscatine47K
9.1
0.4 years
Clinton47K
9.4
0.4 years
Cerro Gordo46K
8.2
0.3 years
Warren46K
8.2
0.3 years
Des Moines42K
8.7
0.4 years
Marshall41K
8.7
0.4 years
Webster39K
7.6
0.3 years
Sioux38K
7.4
0.2 years
Wapello36K
8.1
0.3 years
Marion35K
8.4
0.3 years
Lee34K
8.5
0.3 years
Jasper34K
8.5
0.3 years
Plymouth25K
7.5
0.2 years
Bremer24K
8.6
0.3 years
Boone24K
7.9
0.3 years
Carroll22K
7.5
0.2 years
Benton22K
9.1
0.4 years
Mahaska21K
8.4
0.3 years
Buena Vista21K
7.6
0.3 years
Washington21K
9.0
0.4 years
Henry21K
8.6
0.3 years
Winneshiek21K
8.9
0.4 years
Poweshiek19K
8.6
0.4 years
Fayette18K
8.7
0.4 years
Jones18K
8.8
0.4 years
Dickinson18K
7.6
0.3 years
Buchanan18K
8.9
0.4 years
Jackson17K
8.9
0.4 years
Clay17K
7.5
0.2 years
Iowa17K
8.9
0.4 years
Hardin17K
8.2
0.3 years
Clayton16K
9.0
0.4 years
Cedar16K
9.0
0.4 years
Page15K
7.7
0.3 years
Delaware15K
8.7
0.4 years
Crawford15K
7.8
0.3 years
Tama15K
8.5
0.3 years
Jefferson15K
8.4
0.3 years
Hamilton15K
7.9
0.3 years
Floyd14K
8.4
0.3 years
Madison14K
7.8
0.3 years
Kossuth14K
7.7
0.3 years
O'Brien13K
7.2
0.2 years
Harrison13K
7.5
0.2 years
Cass13K
7.7
0.3 years
Wright13K
8.2
0.3 years
Mills13K
7.8
0.3 years
Union12K
7.7
0.3 years
Appanoose12K
7.4
0.2 years
Allamakee12K
9.1
0.4 years
Butler11K
8.4
0.3 years
Shelby11K
8.0
0.3 years
Chickasaw11K
8.7
0.4 years
Hancock11K
8.1
0.3 years
Grundy11K
8.4
0.3 years
Cherokee11K
7.3
0.2 years
Lyon11K
7.5
0.2 years
Winnebago10K
8.1
0.3 years
Louisa10K
8.7
0.4 years
Montgomery10K
7.4
0.2 years
Clarke10K
7.4
0.2 years
Guthrie9K
7.7
0.3 years
Mitchell9K
8.6
0.4 years
Calhoun9K
7.3
0.2 years
Franklin9K
8.3
0.3 years
Humboldt9K
7.6
0.3 years
Howard9K
8.9
0.4 years
Emmet9K
7.5
0.2 years
Palo Alto9K
7.5
0.2 years
Sac9K
7.3
0.2 years
Lucas8K
7.4
0.2 years
Keokuk8K
8.5
0.3 years
Greene8K
7.4
0.2 years
Davis8K
7.6
0.3 years
Monona7K
7.6
0.3 years
Monroe7K
7.7
0.3 years
Decatur7K
7.3
0.2 years
Ida7K
7.4
0.2 years
Pocahontas6K
7.4
0.2 years
Van Buren6K
7.9
0.3 years
Worth6K
8.2
0.3 years
Adair6K
7.6
0.3 years
Fremont6K
7.5
0.2 years
Wayne6K
7.5
0.2 years
Osceola5K
7.5
0.2 years
Taylor5K
7.5
0.2 years
Audubon5K
8.1
0.3 years
Ringgold4K
7.3
0.2 years
Adams3K
7.4
0.2 years

Showing 99 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.