Ward, North Dakota Air Quality
Ward County, North Dakota (ND)
↑ Worseningover 7 years
How Ward, North Dakota Air Quality Compares
Ward, North Dakota's median AQI of 42is 2% worse than the national average of 41. Air quality has worsened by 8 AQI points over the past decade. The area averages 7 unhealthy air days per year. The primary pollutant of concern is Ground-Level Ozone.
10-Year AQI Trend
The solid line shows the median AQI each year. The dashed line shows the 90th percentile (worst 10% of days). Air quality in this area has been declining over the past decade.
Air Quality Day Breakdown
Number of days per year in each EPA AQI category. Green = Good (AQI 0-50), Yellow = Moderate (51-100), Orange = Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Red = Unhealthy or worse (151+).
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Median AQI | 90th Pct | Max AQI | Good Days | Moderate | Unhealthy+ | Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 42 | 80 | 278 | 244 | 101 | 20 | Ozone |
| 2022 | 37 | 52 | 79 | 315 | 44 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2021 | 37 | 67 | 173 | 284 | 62 | 14 | Ozone |
| 2020 | 35 | 44 | 73 | 344 | 22 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2019 | 31 | 46 | 87 | 336 | 28 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2018 | 34 | 54 | 112 | 316 | 41 | 3 | PM2.5 |
| 2017 | 34 | 51 | 135 | 306 | 35 | 2 | Ozone |
What This Means for Ward County Residents
Ward, North Dakota has received an Air Quality Grade of C (55/100) based on a decade of monitoring data from the EPA's air quality monitoring program. The current median AQI of 42 falls in the "Good" range.
Concerning trends show air quality has been declining, with the median AQI rising by 8 points over the monitoring period. This could be driven by increased development, wildfire smoke, or industrial activity.
The primary pollutant affecting this area is Ground-Level Ozone. Over the past 5 years, this area has averaged 7 unhealthy air quality days per year, days when sensitive groups (children, elderly, those with respiratory conditions) should limit outdoor activity. The American Lung Association's State of the Air report provides additional context on long-term health risks from air pollution exposure.
Related Cities in North Dakota
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Frequently Asked Questions
Ward, North Dakota has a current median AQI of 42, which falls in the "Good" range. The area has received an Air Quality Grade of C (55/100) based on 10 years of EPA monitoring data.
Air quality in Ward, North Dakota is worsening over the past decade. The median AQI has changed by +8 points from 2017 to 2023.
Ward, North Dakota averages 7 unhealthy air quality days per year over the past 5 years. On these days, sensitive groups including children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions should limit outdoor activity.
The primary pollutant affecting Ward, North Dakota is Ground-Level Ozone. This is the dominant contributor to elevated AQI readings in the Ward County area.
Ward, North Dakota averages 7 unhealthy air days per year. Asthma patients should monitor daily AQI readings and limit outdoor activity when AQI exceeds 100. The primary pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, which is a known asthma trigger.
With a median AQI of 42 (Good), outdoor exercise in Ward, North Dakota is generally safe year-round. Ward, North Dakota averages 7 days per year when athletes should move workouts indoors.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS). What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. air quality and pollution monitoring distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. counties and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.