Breathing in Nebraska is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 2.0 million people across 93 districts in Nebraska. The average PM2.5 level is 7.8 µg/m³—1.6× higher than the WHO guideline.

AboutMake Air Quality Great AgainAQLI Data

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Nebraska

Nebraska faces significant air pollution challenges. 98% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.0 million across 93 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.8µg/m³. That's 1.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 129 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 Nebraska met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.26 years longer.

That's 521K years of life stolen from 2.0 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 Nebraska. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Sarpy
    0.4 years lost
  • 2.Douglas
    0.3 years lost
  • 3.Dakota
    0.3 years lost
  • 4.Lancaster
    0.3 years lost
  • 5.Richardson
    0.3 years lost
  • 6.Cass
    0.3 years lost
  • 7.Dixon
    0.3 years lost
  • 8.Otoe
    0.3 years lost
  • 9.Washington
    0.3 years lost
  • 10.Saunders
    0.2 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
0.2%
3K
5-10 µg/m³
99.8%
2.0M
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 93 Districts in Nebraska

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Douglas643K
8.6
0.3 years
Lancaster341K
8.0
0.3 years
Sarpy192K
8.7
0.4 years
Hall67K
6.8
0.2 years
Buffalo52K
6.9
0.2 years
Madison39K
7.1
0.2 years
Dodge38K
7.4
0.2 years
Platte36K
7.2
0.2 years
Scotts Bluff36K
5.8
0.1 years
Lincoln33K
6.4
0.1 years
Adams32K
6.8
0.2 years
Dawson24K
6.3
0.1 years
Dakota24K
8.5
0.3 years
Cass23K
7.8
0.3 years
Gage21K
7.0
0.2 years
Washington20K
7.6
0.3 years
Saunders19K
7.5
0.2 years
Seward17K
6.8
0.2 years
York15K
6.7
0.2 years
Otoe15K
7.7
0.3 years
Saline15K
7.0
0.2 years
Colfax10K
7.1
0.2 years
Red Willow10K
6.3
0.1 years
Wayne10K
7.4
0.2 years
Box Butte10K
5.8
0.1 years
Cheyenne9K
5.2
0.0 years
Holt9K
6.5
0.1 years
Custer9K
6.5
0.1 years
Phelps9K
6.4
0.1 years
Hamilton9K
6.7
0.2 years
Cuming9K
7.0
0.2 years
Keith8K
6.0
0.1 years
Dawes7K
6.5
0.1 years
Knox7K
7.1
0.2 years
Butler7K
7.1
0.2 years
Nemaha7K
7.5
0.2 years
Cedar7K
7.3
0.2 years
Jefferson7K
6.6
0.2 years
Thurston7K
7.3
0.2 years
Richardson7K
7.9
0.3 years
Merrick7K
6.7
0.2 years
Pierce6K
7.0
0.2 years
Burt6K
7.4
0.2 years
Kearney6K
6.6
0.2 years
Clay6K
6.5
0.1 years
Howard5K
6.5
0.1 years
Antelope5K
6.7
0.2 years
Fillmore5K
6.7
0.2 years
Boone5K
6.7
0.2 years
Johnson5K
7.0
0.2 years
Thayer5K
6.5
0.2 years
Dixon5K
7.7
0.3 years
Cherry4K
5.9
0.1 years
Polk4K
6.7
0.2 years
Sheridan4K
5.9
0.1 years
Stanton4K
6.9
0.2 years
Furnas4K
5.9
0.1 years
Valley4K
6.7
0.2 years
Morrill4K
5.5
0.0 years
Chase4K
5.8
0.1 years
Nuckolls3K
6.5
0.2 years
Kimball3K
4.6
0.0 years
Webster3K
6.6
0.2 years
Nance3K
6.5
0.2 years
Brown3K
6.0
0.1 years
Harlan3K
6.6
0.2 years
Franklin2K
6.6
0.2 years
Sherman2K
6.5
0.2 years
Perkins2K
5.5
0.0 years
Frontier2K
5.6
0.1 years
Pawnee2K
7.0
0.2 years
Hitchcock2K
5.8
0.1 years
Greeley2K
6.4
0.1 years
Deuel2K
5.3
0.0 years
Garfield2K
6.4
0.1 years
Boyd1K
6.5
0.1 years
Garden1K
5.8
0.1 years
Gosper1K
6.1
0.1 years
Dundy1K
5.9
0.1 years
Rock963
6.0
0.1 years
Hooker739
5.5
0.0 years
Sioux610
5.4
0.0 years
Hayes604
5.8
0.1 years
Wheeler570
6.0
0.1 years
Thomas568
5.5
0.1 years
Logan507
5.7
0.1 years
Grant487
5.6
0.1 years
Banner440
4.7
0.0 years
Keya Paha431
6.2
0.1 years
Loup358
6.0
0.1 years
Blaine347
5.6
0.1 years
Arthur281
5.3
0.0 years
McPherson196
5.3
0.0 years

Showing 93 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.