Air Quality Rankings for Rhode Island (2026)
Rhode Island has 3 cities tracked by EPA air-quality monitors, with a state-wide 5-year median AQI of 39 — 2 points cleaner than the national average of AQI 41. Kent, Rhode Island ranks #1 with the cleanest air (AQI 35, Grade B), while Providence, Rhode Island sits at the bottom (AQI 45, Grade B).
How Rhode Island Compares
Rhode Island has 3 cities tracked by EPA air-quality monitors, with a state-wide 5-year median AQI of 39 — 2 points cleaner than the national average of AQI 41. Kent, Rhode Island ranks #1 with the cleanest air (AQI 35, Grade B), while Providence, Rhode Island sits at the bottom (AQI 45, Grade B). 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.
Rhode Island is on an improving trajectory: 3 of 3 monitored cities show measurably cleaner air over the past decade, against just 0 that are getting worse. That mirrors the broader national pattern of falling particulate and ozone pollution as cleaner vehicles, cleaner power generation, and tighter industrial standards take effect.
The dominant pollutant across 2 of 3 Rhode Island cities is Ground-Level Ozone. Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days and is the leading air quality concern across much of the Sun Belt and California. Other Rhode Island cities report Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) (1) as their dominant concern.
The fastest-improving city in Rhode Island is Providence, Rhode Island, with median AQI falling by 0.6 points per year. Steady improvement at that pace usually reflects fleet turnover (older diesels retiring), upwind power-plant retirements, or tighter regional emissions controls.
Full Rhode Island Ranking
| # | City | 5yr Avg AQI | Current AQI | Worst Pollutant | Trend | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent, Rhode Island | 35 | 40 | Ozone | Stable | B |
| 2 | Washington, Rhode Island | 37 | 40 | Ozone | Stable | B |
| 3 | Providence, Rhode Island | 45 | 46 | PM2.5 | Improving | B |
Air quality data for Rhode Island is sourced from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which monitors outdoor air quality at thousands of stations nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kent, Rhode Island has the best air quality in Rhode Island with a 5-year average AQI of 35 and a Grade B (69/100). Its dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone and the long-run trend is stable.
Providence, Rhode Island has the worst air quality in Rhode Island with a 5-year average AQI of 45 and a Grade B (66/100). Its dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).
Rhode Island has 3 cities with EPA air quality monitoring data, covering 2014-2023 of daily AQI measurements aggregated into annual averages.
Rhode Island's state-wide 5-year median AQI is 39, 2 points cleaner than the national average of AQI 41. Rhode Island is on an improving trajectory: 3 of 3 monitored cities show measurably cleaner air over the past decade, against just 0 that are getting worse. That mirrors the broader national pattern of falling particulate and ozone pollution as cleaner vehicles, cleaner power generation, and tighter industrial standards take effect.
Ground-Level Ozone is the dominant pollutant in 2 of 3 monitored Rhode Island cities. Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days and is the leading air quality concern across much of the Sun Belt and California.
Rhode Island cities log an average of 3 days per year at "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse, based on EPA monitor data over the last five years. Across all 3 Rhode Island cities tracked, that totals 39 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.