April 23. According to the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report, Charlotte’s air quality is worse this year than it was year. Extreme heat and wildfires contributed to worsening air quality in much of the country.

Charlotte Ground-level Ozone Pollution:

Number of Unhealthy Days per Year: 2.7 days (1 day in 2024 report)
Grade: D (C in 2024 report)

National Ranking: 79th worst out of 228 (79th worst in 2024 report)

Charlotte Short-Term Spikes in Particle Pollution:

Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 1.3 days (1 day in 2024 report)

Grade: C (C in 2024 report)

National Ranking: 125th worst out of 223 (85th worst in 2024 report)

Charlotte Year-Round Average Level of Particle Pollution:

Grade: Failing grade, pollution levels above the federal standard (passing grade in 2024 report)

National Ranking: 59th worst out of 204 (84th worst in 2024 report)

Why it matters

Ozone and particle pollution are widespread and can impact anyone’s health. Both pollutants can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive functioning later in life. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer.

To view the State of the Air report, click here.

Quotable

“Unfortunately, too many people in the Charlotte metro area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution. This air pollution is a threat to human health at every stage of life—increasing the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in babies to causing or worsening lung and heart disease to shortening lives.”

—Danna Thompson, director of advocacy for the Lung Association in North Carolina.

Statewide

In addition to the Charlotte metro area, other notable findings across North Carolina include:

Both daily and year-round particle pollution levels worsened in the Raleigh-Durham metro area, with the grade for daily particle pollution dropping from a “B” to a “C.”

The Wilmington metro area is listed among the nation’s cleanest for ozone smog and year-round particle pollution. Daily particle pollution increased, dropping its grade from an “A” to a “B.”

While the Asheville metro area is ranked among the nation’s cleanest cities for short-term particle pollution, it experienced worsening ozone smog, with its grade dropping from a “B” to a “C.”