Air pollution threatens the health of 7.2 million people across 95 districts in Tennessee. The average PM2.5 level is 8.4 µg/m³—1.7× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Tennessee faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 7.2 million across 95 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 8.4µg/m³. That's 1.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 139 cigarettes in a year.
If Tennessee met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.33 years longer.
That's 2.4M years of life stolen from 7.2 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 Tennessee. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Complete air quality data for every district in Tennessee, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 1.0M | 9.1 | 0.4 years |
| Davidson | 824K | 9.0 | 0.4 years |
| Knox | 524K | 9.1 | 0.4 years |
| Hamilton | 407K | 9.4 | 0.4 years |
| Rutherford | 343K | 8.6 | 0.4 years |
| Williamson | 270K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Montgomery | 224K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Sumner | 184K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Sullivan | 166K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Wilson | 146K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Washington | 142K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Blount | 137K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Bradley | 114K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Madison | 112K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Maury | 101K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Sevier | 101K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Putnam | 89K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Anderson | 81K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Hamblen | 72K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Greene | 71K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Robertson | 68K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Cumberland | 63K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Coffee | 62K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Roane | 58K | 8.7 | 0.4 years |
| Tipton | 55K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Loudon | 55K | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| McMinn | 54K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Carter | 53K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Jefferson | 53K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Hawkins | 52K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Dickson | 52K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Bedford | 51K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Gibson | 48K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Monroe | 46K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Lawrence | 42K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Warren | 42K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Franklin | 40K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Dyer | 39K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Campbell | 37K | 8.6 | 0.4 years |
| Fayette | 37K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Cheatham | 36K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Cocke | 34K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Rhea | 33K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Lincoln | 33K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Marshall | 33K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Weakley | 33K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Claiborne | 32K | 8.3 | 0.3 years |
| Henry | 32K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Obion | 31K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Giles | 29K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Carroll | 27K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Henderson | 27K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Marion | 27K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Hardin | 27K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| White | 26K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| McNairy | 25K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Hardeman | 25K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Lauderdale | 25K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Macon | 23K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Scott | 22K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Hickman | 22K | 7.2 | 0.2 years |
| Grainger | 21K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Overton | 20K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| DeKalb | 20K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Morgan | 19K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Humphreys | 18K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Fentress | 18K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Union | 18K | 8.7 | 0.4 years |
| Smith | 18K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Haywood | 17K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Unicoi | 17K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Johnson | 17K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Chester | 16K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Wayne | 16K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Sequatchie | 15K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Polk | 15K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Benton | 15K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Bledsoe | 14K | 7.8 | 0.3 years |
| Crockett | 13K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Stewart | 13K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Grundy | 13K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Cannon | 12K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Lewis | 12K | 7.3 | 0.2 years |
| Meigs | 12K | 8.1 | 0.3 years |
| Decatur | 11K | 7.2 | 0.2 years |
| Trousdale | 10K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Jackson | 10K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Perry | 8K | 7.1 | 0.2 years |
| Houston | 7K | 7.2 | 0.2 years |
| Lake | 7K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Clay | 7K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Moore | 7K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Hancock | 6K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Van Buren | 6K | 7.6 | 0.3 years |
| Pickett | 5K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
Showing 95 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.