Los Angeles Reigns as U.S. “Pollution Champion”

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2025 report, released in April, shows that the Long Beach area of Los Angeles topped the nation’s ozone pollution list for several years in a row, and ranked in the top 10 for short-term and year-round particulate matter pollution. Kern County is even a pollution “triple crown winner,” ranking first in ozone, short-term and year-round particulate matter pollution. Climate change-induced high temperatures and frequent wildfires have exacerbated air quality in Southern California, where nearly half of all Americans (156 million) live in areas with “unhealthy” air pollution.