What is the cleanest city in the world by air quality?

Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway) ranks as the world's cleanest monitored city with a composite US AQI of 8 and PM2.5 of just 1.9 µg/m³ — well below the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. Other top contenders include Whitehorse (Canada), Yellowknife (Canada), and remote Pacific island capitals.

What does AQI mean and how is it calculated?

The US AQI (Air Quality Index) converts measured pollutant concentrations into a 0–500 scale. 0–50 is Good (green), 51–100 is Moderate, 101–150 is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151–200 is Unhealthy, and higher values are Very Unhealthy or Hazardous. This site uses a composite AQI calculated as the maximum AQI across PM2.5, PM10, NO2, ozone and CO for each city.

Which continent has the cleanest air overall?

Oceania and North America consistently rank as the continents with the cleanest air quality. Remote Pacific island nations (Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Micronesia) record some of the lowest PM2.5 concentrations on Earth. In North America, cities in Canada's Yukon and Northwest Territories lead the global rankings.

What is a good PM2.5 level to live in?

The WHO 2021 annual guideline for PM2.5 is 5 µg/m³. Cities below this threshold offer the healthiest long-term air for residents. A US AQI of 0–50 (PM2.5 below 9 µg/m³) is classified as Good. For comparison, many European and North American cities with Good AQI average 5–15 µg/m³, while polluted Asian cities can exceed 50–100 µg/m³ annually.

Cleanest Cities in North America 2026

Cleanest Cities in North America 2026 — Air Quality Rankings

Top 50 Cleanest Cities in North America by Air Quality

#	City	Continent	AQI	PM2.5
1	Charleston WV, United States of America	North America	AQI 9	PM2.5 2.21 µg/m³
2	Nuuk, Greenland	North America	AQI 13	PM2.5 3.1 µg/m³
3	Concord NH, United States of America	North America	AQI 14	PM2.5 3.47 µg/m³
4	Pierre SD, United States of America	North America	AQI 14	PM2.5 3.27 µg/m³
5	Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon	North America	AQI 17	PM2.5 4 µg/m³
6	Santa Fe NM, United States of America	North America	AQI 18	PM2.5 4.25 µg/m³
7	Montpelier VT, United States of America	North America	AQI 21	PM2.5 5.03 µg/m³
8	The Bottom, Saba	North America	AQI 22	PM2.5 5.3 µg/m³
9	Helena MT, United States of America	North America	AQI 23	PM2.5 5.49 µg/m³
10	Augusta ME, United States of America	North America	AQI 24	PM2.5 5.76 µg/m³
11	Anchorage AK, United States of America	North America	AQI 25	PM2.5 6 µg/m³
12	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten	North America	AQI 25	PM2.5 6 µg/m³
13	The Valley, Anguilla	North America	AQI 25	PM2.5 5.9 µg/m³
14	Shenandoah Valley VA, United States of America	North America	AQI 25	PM2.5 5.91 µg/m³
15	Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius	North America	AQI 26	PM2.5 6.2 µg/m³
16	Dover DE, United States of America	North America	AQI 26	PM2.5 6.35 µg/m³
17	Kralendijk, Bonaire	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 4 µg/m³
18	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
19	Road Town, British Virgin Islands	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 6.4 µg/m³
20	Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 6.4 µg/m³
21	Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
22	Lincoln NE, United States of America	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 6.47 µg/m³
23	Olympia WA, United States of America	North America	AQI 27	PM2.5 6.39 µg/m³
24	Kahului HI, United States of America	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 4.5 µg/m³
25	Oranjestad, Aruba	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 5.2 µg/m³
26	Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
27	Bismarck ND, United States of America	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 5.9 µg/m³
28	Boston Cambridge Newton MA NH, United States of America	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
29	Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach FL, United States of America	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³
30	Arecibo, Puerto Rico	North America	AQI 28	PM2.5 6.8 µg/m³
31	Regina, Canada	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³
32	Saskatoon, Canada	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 6 µg/m³
33	Winnipeg, Canada	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7 µg/m³
34	Roseau, Dominica	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7 µg/m³
35	Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7 µg/m³
36	Saint George's, Grenada	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7 µg/m³
37	Marigot, Saint-Martin	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7 µg/m³
38	Tallahassee FL, United States of America	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7.06 µg/m³
39	Annapolis MD, United States of America	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7.06 µg/m³
40	New York NY, United States of America	North America	AQI 29	PM2.5 7.03 µg/m³
41	Urban Honolulu HI, United States of America	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
42	Victoria, Canada	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 5 µg/m³
43	Lihue HI, United States of America	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 5 µg/m³
44	Moose Jaw, Canada	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
45	Prince Albert, Canada	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
46	Brandon, Canada	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
47	Sherbrooke, Canada	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³
48	Santa Cruz Watsonville CA, United States of America	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
49	Springfield MA, United States of America	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
50	Trois-Rivières, Canada	North America	AQI 30	PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³