New ‘State of the Air’ Report Finds Air Quality Worsens Slightly in Several Florida Cities

Today, the American Lung Association released its 27th annual “State of the Air” report, which finds nearly half of the children in the U.S. are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution. The report focuses on the health consequences of air pollution, with a focus on children, including the risks facing Florida’s 4.5 million children. Research shows air quality in the Greater Orlando area slightly improved, exposing residents to less unhealthy ozone pollution and placing the region as the 143rd most polluted in the nation for ozone. 

The Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report analyzes air quality data from 2022-2024 to grade counties on unhealthy levels of ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot) and ranks counties and metro areas among the cleanest and most polluted. Both pollutants are linked to premature death and serious health impacts, including asthma attacks, heart disease, stroke, preterm birth, cognitive impairment, and lung cancer.

For the Greater Orlando area, the report finds:

Ground-level Ozone Pollution in the Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona metro area:
National Ranking: 143rd out of 226 (165th worst in 2025 report)
Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 0.7 days per year (0.3 days per year in 2025 report)
Grade: B, Orange County, worst in metro area (B in 2025 report)

Short-term Particle Pollution in the Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona metro area:
National Ranking: 154th worst out of 224 (177th worst in 2025 report)
Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 0.7 days per year (0.3 days per year in 2025 report)
Grade: B, Seminole County, worst in metro area (B in 2025 report)

Year-Round Average Level of Particle Pollution in the Orlando-Lakeland-Deltona metro area:
National Ranking: 152nd worst out of 211 (155th worst in 2025 report)
Grade: Passing grade, pollution levels below the federal standard, Volusia County, worst in region

Nationally, the report finds that 33.5 million children in the U.S., or 46% of people under 18 years old, live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. In total, 44% of people of all ages in the U.S. (152 million people in total) live in a county that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. 32.9 million people live in counties with failing grades for all three measures.

Infants, children and teens as a group are more susceptible to the health impacts of air pollution. Their lungs are still developing; they breathe more air for their body size than adults and they are frequently exposed to outdoor air. Air pollution exposure in childhood can cause long-term harm, including reduced lung growth, new asthma cases and increased risk of respiratory diseases.

“Clean air is essential to the health and wellbeing of families across Florida. Children deserve to breathe air that won’t make them sick,” said Ashley Lyerly, senior director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. “Clean air takes work. Unfortunately, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rollbacks of critical healthy air rules are impacting our residents. We urge Florida’s policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, and we are calling on everyone to tell EPA that our kids’ health counts.”

Other notable findings across Florida include: 

Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale metro area ranked 132nd worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning a C grade. The metro area received a C grade for short-term particle pollution and is ranked the 110th worst nationally. For year-round particle pollution the region is ranked 57th worst in the nation and received a passing grade. 

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area ranked 100th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning a C grade. The metro area received a B grade for short-term particle pollution and ranked 154th worst nationally. For year-round particle pollution the area ranked 138th worst nationally and received a passing grade.

Jacksonville-Kingsland-Palatka metro area ranked 169th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning a B grade. The area ranked 180th worst nationally for short-term particle pollution and received a B grade. For year-round particle pollution the area is ranked 132nd worst in the nation and received a passing grade. 

The Lung Association is calling on everyone to urge EPA to value the health of America’s kids. Historically, EPA has played an essential role in protecting people’s health from air pollution. The current EPA has retreated from its public health foundation by rolling back clean air protections. This EPA has also taken the recent step of eliminating health-related information from its economic analyses, meaning that the costs of pollution to kids, families and communities will not be counted as policies are undone. EPA must not devalue kids’ health.

See the full report results and take action at Lung.org/sota.