Air Quality Rankings for Oregon (2026)
Oregon has 23 cities tracked by EPA air-quality monitors, with a state-wide 5-year median AQI of 34 — 7 points cleaner than the national average of AQI 41. Benton, Oregon ranks #1 with the cleanest air (AQI 22, Grade B), while Lane, Oregon sits at the bottom (AQI 45, Grade C).
How Oregon Compares
Oregon has 23 cities tracked by EPA air-quality monitors, with a state-wide 5-year median AQI of 34 — 7 points cleaner than the national average of AQI 41. Benton, Oregon ranks #1 with the cleanest air (AQI 22, Grade B), while Lane, Oregon sits at the bottom (AQI 45, Grade C). The rankings below are computed from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which aggregates daily AQI readings from federally certified monitors into annual averages. Cities are sorted by 5-year median AQI (lowest = cleanest = #1). The 5-year window smooths out year-to-year volatility from weather and wildfire events.
Oregon is bucking the national trend of broad improvement: 12 of 23 monitored cities show measurably worse air over the past decade, more than the 6 that are improving. Across western states this usually traces back to expanding wildfire smoke exposure; elsewhere it can reflect rising local emissions from population or freight growth.
The dominant pollutant across 23 of 23 Oregon cities is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) is most often driven by combustion sources — vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, residential wood burning, and increasingly wildfire smoke. It penetrates deep into lung tissue and the bloodstream and is the air pollutant most strongly linked to long-term health impacts.
The fastest-improving city in Oregon is Jefferson, Oregon, with median AQI falling by 2.0 points per year. Steady improvement at that pace usually reflects fleet turnover (older diesels retiring), upwind power-plant retirements, or tighter regional emissions controls.
The city with the steepest decline is Douglas, Oregon, where median AQI is rising by 2.1 points per year. Rapid deterioration in a single city usually points to either wildfire-smoke exposure (in the West) or a new local emissions source — a power plant, port, or freight corridor coming online.
Full Oregon Ranking
| # | City | 5yr Avg AQI | Current AQI | Worst Pollutant | Trend | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benton, Oregon | 22 | 21 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 2 | Wasco, Oregon | 24 | 27 | PM2.5 | Improving | B |
| 3 | Deschutes, Oregon | 25 | 28 | PM2.5 | Improving | B |
| 4 | Union, Oregon | 27 | 26 | PM2.5 | Improving | B |
| 5 | Wallowa, Oregon | 27 | 25 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 6 | Lake, Oregon | 27 | 28 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 7 | Jefferson, Oregon | 28 | 31 | PM2.5 | Improving | A |
| 8 | Crook, Oregon | 29 | 33 | PM2.5 | Improving | B |
| 9 | Columbia, Oregon | 29 | 29 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 10 | Baker, Oregon | 31 | 30 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 11 | Clackamas, Oregon | 32 | 34 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 12 | Linn, Oregon | 35 | 34 | PM2.5 | Worsening | C |
| 13 | Douglas, Oregon | 36 | 53 | PM2.5 | Worsening | C |
| 14 | Washington, Oregon | 36 | 36 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 15 | Multnomah, Oregon | 36 | 38 | PM2.5 | Stable | B |
| 16 | Marion, Oregon | 37 | 38 | PM2.5 | Worsening | C |
| 17 | Josephine, Oregon | 38 | 44 | PM2.5 | Worsening | C |
| 18 | Umatilla, Oregon | 39 | 42 | PM2.5 | Stable | C |
| 19 | Harney, Oregon | 44 | 43 | PM2.5 | Worsening | C |
| 20 | Jackson, Oregon | 44 | 45 | PM2.5 | Stable | C |
| 21 | Klamath, Oregon | 44 | 39 | PM2.5 | Stable | C |
| 22 | Grant, Oregon | 45 | 44 | PM2.5 | Worsening | C |
| 23 | Lane, Oregon | 45 | 49 | PM2.5 | Stable | C |
Air quality data for Oregon is sourced from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which monitors outdoor air quality at thousands of stations nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Benton, Oregon has the best air quality in Oregon with a 5-year average AQI of 22 and a Grade B (71/100). Its dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and the long-run trend is stable.
Lane, Oregon has the worst air quality in Oregon with a 5-year average AQI of 45 and a Grade C (52/100). Its dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).
Oregon has 23 cities with EPA air quality monitoring data, covering 2014-2023 of daily AQI measurements aggregated into annual averages.
Oregon's state-wide 5-year median AQI is 34, 7 points cleaner than the national average of AQI 41. Oregon is bucking the national trend of broad improvement: 12 of 23 monitored cities show measurably worse air over the past decade, more than the 6 that are improving. Across western states this usually traces back to expanding wildfire smoke exposure; elsewhere it can reflect rising local emissions from population or freight growth.
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) is the dominant pollutant in 23 of 23 monitored Oregon cities. PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) is most often driven by combustion sources — vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, residential wood burning, and increasingly wildfire smoke. It penetrates deep into lung tissue and the bloodstream and is the air pollutant most strongly linked to long-term health impacts.
Oregon cities log an average of 7 days per year at "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse, based on EPA monitor data over the last five years. Across all 23 Oregon cities tracked, that totals 842 unhealthy days over the period.
Cities ranked by 5-year average AQI (lower is better). Grades factor in average AQI, trend direction, unhealthy days, and dominant pollutant.
The this entity category groups every U.S. air quality and pollution monitoring entity sharing this attribute. The list above is the data; the paragraphs below explain what the grouping means against the broader the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) distribution and how to read the relative rankings within the category.
For readers using this category as a starting point, the per-entity detail pages linked from the table above carry the underlying the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) data in full. The category-level view is the filter; the per-entity pages are the actual answer.
Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.