American Lung Association’s Annual “State of the Air” Report Highlights Air Quality in New Jersey

The American Lung Association released the 2025 “State of the Air” report, which reveals that New Jersey counties nearly always posted worse results for both ozone smog and fine particle pollution than it had in last year’s report. Smoke from wildfires in Canada in 2023 contributed to poorer air quality. The report found that at least 46 percent of New Jersey residents and156 million people are living in areas that had unhealthy levels of air pollution.

The Lung Association’s 26^th annual “State of the Air” report grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution (also known as smog), and year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution (also known as soot) over a three-year period. The report looks at the latest quality-assured air quality data from 2021-2023.

“The air pollutants highlighted in this report are widespread and pose a risk to everyone’s health. Both ozone and particle pollution can lead to premature death and cause serious health issues such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births, and even problems with cognitive function later in life. Particle pollution can also increase the risk of lung cancer,” said Michael Seilback, AVP, Nationwide Advocacy, American Lung Association.

“Sadly, too many people in the Garden State are living with dangerous levels of ozone and particle pollution. This pollution is making kids have asthma attacks, causing people who work outdoors to get sick and unable to work, and even contributing to low birth weight in babies. We’re urging New Jersey policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, including increasing clean energy production, expanding building electrification, and ensuring that the state is prepared to mitigate the effects of longer, warmer summers, droughts, and increased wildfires. We’re also calling on everyone to support the vital work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” 

Air Pollution in New Jersey’s metro areas:

The 30-county New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA metro area, covering 13 New Jersey counties, worsened for all three measures of pollution covered in the report and posted straight “F” grades according to the area’s worst counties. Despite worsening for ozone and ranking worst in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, the area did earn a better rank nationally (16^th worst) than in last year’s report (13^th worst); the measure was driven by the frequent days of high ozone pollution in Fairfield County, CT to which the entire area contributes.

This metro area also had a worse performance for the daily measure of fine particle pollution, dropping from 64^th worst to 58^th worst in the nation. Queens County, NY’s “F” grade replaced Fairfield County’s “C” in last year’s report as worst in the metro area for the daily measure. Union County, NJ, continued for the fourth consecutive year as the metro area’s most polluted for the long-term measure of particle pollution, now earning a Failing grade, with the metro area’s rank worsening significantly to 48^th worst in the nation from 73^rd worst in last year’s report.

The 16-county Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, covering seven New Jersey counties, also worsened for all three measures of pollution. Philadelphia County earned straight “F” grades and was worst in the metro area for all three measures. The area was named 3^rd most polluted in Mid-Atlantic (defined for this report as DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV) for both ozone smog and daily particle pollution; and 26^th worst in the nation for year-round particle levels, 2^nd worst in the Mid-Atlantic. Despite worsening for ozone, the metro area’s rank improved to 43^rd worst from 35^th most polluted in the nation.

The metro area’s worst grade for short-term particle pollution worsened from a “C” to an “F” in Philadelphia County, ranking the metro area at 30^th most polluted, much worse than the area’s 73^rd worst rank in last year’s report. For the year-round average level of particle pollution, Philadelphia County significantly worsened from last year’s level and again received a failing grade for its average level of pollution above the federal standard. The Philadelphia metro area worsened to 26^th worst in the nation for the year-round level, far worse than the area’s ranking in last year’s report of 65^th worst.

The five-county Allentown-Bethlehem-East Stroudsburg, PA-NJ metro area, worsened from its best-ever value for ozone, but maintained a “C” grade in its worst county (Northampton, PA) and nevertheless improved its ranking from 79^th to 105^th worst. The daily measure of particle pollution worsened significantly; again, Northampton County was worst in the metro area, resulting in the metro area’s worst grade changing from “C” to “F” and the area’s rank dropping from 79^th to 50^th worst. With Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County’s “incomplete” mark for year-round particle pollution in this year’s report, its spot was taken over by Warren County, NJ. Hence, the metro area’s performance slightly improved and its rank improved as well, from 84^th to 103^rd worst in the nation.

Summary for New Jersey Counties:

• Five counties earned “F” grades for ozone smog in this year’s report: Bergen, Gloucester, Mercer (worst in the state), Middlesex, and Ocean. Remarkably, both Atlantic and Warren Counties retained their “A” grades, for zero days with high levels of ozone pollution, in this year’s report.
• Despite the widespread worsening of air quality for particle pollution in the state, no county earned an “F” grade for the daily measure. However, there were eleven counties that posted “D” grades: Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland, Bergen, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex (tied with Mercer for worst in the state), Ocean, Union, and Warren. The only counties with better grades were Gloucester (a “C”), and Morris (a “B,” best in the state)
• Finally, only two counties, Camden (worst) and Union, failed for the year-round measure of particle pollution.

The “State of the Air” report found that 156 million people in the U.S. (46%) live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution and 42.5 million people live in areas with failing grades for all three measures. The report also found that a person of color in the U.S. is more than twice as likely as a white individual to live in a community with a failing grade on all three pollution measures. Notably, Hispanic individuals are nearly three times as likely as white individuals to live in a community with three failing grades.

In this year’s “State of the Air” report, the Lung Association is calling on everyone to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA is essential to protecting people’s health from ozone and particle pollution. Without EPA staff and programs, families won’t know what’s in the air they are breathing, and efforts to clean up air pollution will be undone. Join the American Lung Association in advocating to protect EPA’s expert staff and lifesaving programs. See the full report results and take action at Lung.org/sota.

Get involved and help the mission of the American Lung Association. The Fight For Air Climb New Jersey is this coming April 27, 2025 at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, register at FightForAirClimb.org/newjersey. The LUNG FORCE Walk in New Jersey is being held on September 20, 2025 at Duke Island State Park. Learn more at LUNGFORCE.org/newjersey.