Breathing in Virginia is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 8.7 million people across 133 districts in Virginia. The average PM2.5 level is 8.4 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 Virginia

Virginia faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 8.7 million across 133 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.

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 Virginia met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.33 years longer.

That's 2.9M years of life stolen from 8.7 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 Virginia. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Richmond
    0.4 years lost
  • 2.Harrisonburg
    0.4 years lost
  • 3.Henrico
    0.4 years lost
  • 4.Hampton
    0.4 years lost
  • 5.Winchester
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Arlington
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Newport News
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Chesterfield
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Norfolk
    0.4 years lost
  • 10.Waynesboro
    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%
8.7M
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 133 Districts in Virginia

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Fairfax1.2M
8.4
0.3 years
Virginia Beach450K
8.2
0.3 years
Prince William432K
8.3
0.3 years
Loudoun405K
8.7
0.4 years
Chesterfield374K
8.9
0.4 years
Henrico358K
9.1
0.4 years
Richmond280K
9.4
0.4 years
Norfolk277K
8.9
0.4 years
Arlington267K
8.9
0.4 years
Chesapeake255K
8.3
0.3 years
Newport News200K
8.9
0.4 years
Stafford152K
8.0
0.3 years
Alexandria146K
8.8
0.4 years
Hampton135K
9.0
0.4 years
Spotsylvania134K
8.2
0.3 years
Roanoke City121K
8.6
0.3 years
Hanover115K
8.4
0.3 years
Albemarle112K
8.4
0.3 years
Montgomery106K
8.3
0.3 years
Portsmouth98K
8.7
0.4 years
Lynchburg97K
8.5
0.3 years
Roanoke93K
8.2
0.3 years
Frederick92K
8.8
0.4 years
Suffolk91K
8.0
0.3 years
Rockingham85K
8.7
0.4 years
Augusta77K
8.5
0.3 years
James City75K
7.9
0.3 years
Charlottesville72K
8.6
0.4 years
York66K
8.3
0.3 years
Fauquier65K
7.9
0.3 years
Bedford63K
7.8
0.3 years
Harrisonburg62K
9.3
0.4 years
Franklin58K
7.8
0.3 years
Washington54K
7.8
0.3 years
Pittsylvania53K
7.6
0.3 years
Campbell53K
8.1
0.3 years
Culpeper50K
8.2
0.3 years
Henry49K
7.7
0.3 years
Danville49K
7.9
0.3 years
Prince George47K
8.3
0.3 years
Manassas43K
8.4
0.3 years
Shenandoah42K
8.3
0.3 years
Tazewell42K
7.9
0.3 years
Fairfax City40K
8.3
0.3 years
Warren38K
8.4
0.3 years
Wise37K
8.1
0.3 years
Isle of Wight36K
7.7
0.3 years
Winchester35K
9.0
0.4 years
Fredericksburg35K
8.3
0.3 years
Louisa35K
8.3
0.3 years
Orange34K
8.2
0.3 years
Gloucester34K
7.6
0.3 years
Pulaski34K
8.3
0.3 years
Petersburg33K
8.4
0.3 years
Accomack33K
7.9
0.3 years
Halifax33K
7.7
0.3 years
Botetourt31K
7.9
0.3 years
Goochland31K
8.4
0.3 years
Salem31K
8.6
0.4 years
Mecklenburg30K
7.8
0.3 years
Smyth30K
8.0
0.3 years
Amherst28K
7.9
0.3 years
Wythe28K
8.3
0.3 years
King George28K
7.5
0.2 years
Powhatan27K
8.1
0.3 years
Carroll27K
7.4
0.2 years
Caroline27K
7.8
0.3 years
Staunton26K
8.8
0.4 years
Dinwiddie26K
8.0
0.3 years
Williamsburg25K
8.0
0.3 years
Russell24K
7.9
0.3 years
Fluvanna24K
8.2
0.3 years
Waynesboro23K
8.9
0.4 years
Hopewell23K
8.6
0.3 years
Prince Edward23K
7.8
0.3 years
Bristol22K
8.0
0.3 years
Page22K
8.2
0.3 years
Colonial Heights21K
8.7
0.4 years
Scott20K
7.8
0.3 years
New Kent20K
7.7
0.3 years
Rockbridge20K
7.8
0.3 years
Lee20K
8.1
0.3 years
Buchanan20K
7.9
0.3 years
Greene18K
8.1
0.3 years
Radford17K
8.2
0.3 years
Manassas Park17K
8.3
0.3 years
Southampton17K
7.4
0.2 years
Patrick16K
7.4
0.2 years
Martinsville16K
7.9
0.3 years
King William16K
7.8
0.3 years
Giles16K
7.8
0.3 years
Buckingham16K
8.0
0.3 years
Nottoway15K
7.6
0.3 years
Appomattox15K
7.8
0.3 years
Brunswick15K
7.5
0.2 years
Westmoreland15K
7.8
0.3 years
Falls Church14K
8.4
0.3 years
Dickenson14K
8.0
0.3 years
Clarke13K
8.4
0.3 years
Floyd13K
7.2
0.2 years
Nelson13K
7.6
0.3 years
Grayson13K
7.4
0.2 years
Madison12K
8.0
0.3 years
Alleghany12K
7.6
0.3 years
Northampton12K
8.4
0.3 years
Greensville11K
7.5
0.2 years
Amelia11K
7.7
0.3 years
Lexington11K
7.7
0.3 years
Sussex11K
7.4
0.2 years
Lunenburg11K
7.5
0.2 years
Poquoson10K
8.4
0.3 years
Charlotte10K
7.6
0.3 years
Lancaster10K
7.9
0.3 years
Essex9K
7.9
0.3 years
Northumberland9K
7.8
0.3 years
Bedford City9K
7.9
0.3 years
Middlesex9K
7.6
0.3 years
Galax8K
8.0
0.3 years
Cumberland8K
7.8
0.3 years
Covington7K
7.8
0.3 years
Emporia7K
7.8
0.3 years
Buena Vista7K
7.8
0.3 years
Mathews6K
7.9
0.3 years
Rappahannock6K
7.9
0.3 years
Surry6K
7.6
0.3 years
Bland6K
8.0
0.3 years
Charles City6K
8.0
0.3 years
Norton5K
8.2
0.3 years
King and Queen5K
7.5
0.2 years
Bath4K
7.6
0.3 years
Craig4K
7.6
0.3 years
Clifton Forge City3K
7.7
0.3 years
Highland2K
7.6
0.3 years

Showing 133 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.