New ‘State of the Air’ Report Ranks Three South Carolina Cities Among the Cleanest in the Nation

Today, the American Lung Association released its 27th annual “State of the Air” report, which recognizes several South Carolina communities for having some of the cleanest air in the nation. The Charleston metro area ranked among the nation’s cleanest cities for short-term particle pollution for the second straight year, while the Florence and Myrtle Beach metro areas ranked among the cleanest for ozone pollution. The report also notes that air quality in the Greater Charleston area has worsened slightly, with Charleston ranking 143rd worst in the nation for ozone pollution despite continued strength in particle pollution

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 Charleston area, the report finds: 

• Ground-level Ozone Pollution in the Charleston-North Charleston metro area:
  • National Ranking: 143rd out of 226 (149th worst in 2025 report)
  • Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 0.7 days per year (0.7 days per year in 2025 report)
  • Grade: B, Berkeley County, SC worst in metro area (B in 2025 report)
• Short-term Particle Pollution in the Charleston-North Charleston metro area:
  • National Ranking: Among Nation’s Cleanest Cities (Among Nation’s Cleanest Cities in 2025 report)
  • Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 0 days per year (0 days per year in 2025 report)
  • Grade: A, Charleston County worst in metro area (A in 2025 report)
• Year-Round Average Level of Particle Pollution in the Charleston-North Charleston metro area:
  • National Ranking: 136th worst out of 211 (No data in 2025 report)
  • Grade: Passing grade, pollution levels below the federal standard, Charleston 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 South Carolina. Children deserve to breathe air that won’t make them sick,” said Danna Thompson, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. “Thankfully, Charleston as good air quality, but 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 South Carolina policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, and we are calling on everyone to tell the EPA that our kids’ health counts.”

Other notable findings across South Carolina include: 

• Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg metro area ranks 135th worst nationally for ozone pollution, earning a C grade. The metro area ranks 137th worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution and received a C grade, and for year-round particle pollution the area received a passing grade.   
• Florence, SC metro area ranks among the nation’s cleanest cities for ozone pollution, earning an A grade. The metro area ranks 180th worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution and received a B grade. The area received a passing grade for year-round particle pollution and is ranked 120th worst nationally.  
• Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro area ranks 91st worst nationally for ozone pollution, earning a D grade. The area earned a B grade for short-term particle pollution and is ranked 154th. The metro area received a passing grade for year-round particle pollution and ranks 78th worst nationally.
• Myrtle Beach-Conway metro area ranks among the cleanest cities in the nation for ozone pollution, earning an A grade. The metro area had incomplete data for short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution.

The Lung Association is calling on everyone to urge the EPA to value the health of America’s kids. Historically, the 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. The EPA must not devalue kids’ health.

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

Get involved and help the mission of American Lung Association. The Lowcountry Dancing with the Stars Oxygen Ball in Charleston is coming up on May 15. Learn more at CharlestonOxygenBall.org.