SmogRank / Countries / United States / North Carolina

Most polluted cities in North Carolina, United States

13 measured cities, last 7 days; 0 above the WHO 24-hour guideline. Worst: Wake Forest at 7.7 µg/m³, #999 in the world.

13 good

  1. 1Wake Forestlow-cost sensors 7.7
  2. 2Asheville 7.1
  3. 3Fayetteville 6.3
  4. 4Morrisville 5.8
  5. 5Raleigh 5.3
  6. 6Roanoke Rapids 5.3
  7. 7Charlotte 5.0
  8. 8Durham 5.0
  9. 9Lexington 4.7
  10. 10Clemmons 4.5
  11. 11Winston-Salem 4.5
  12. 12Hickory 4.1
  13. 13Greensboro 3.9
Good0–9.0
Moderate9.1–35.4
Sensitive groups35.5–55.4
Unhealthy55.5–125.4
Very unhealthy125.5–225.4
Hazardous225.5+

Estimated: cities without a monitor

North Carolina cities we can't measure, with model estimates for the last 7 days. Listed by population, not ranked: estimates aren't precise enough to rank. Model estimates from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), adjusted to measured cities nearby where there are any. Adjusted, a single day lands within ×1.5 of what a monitor would read about two times in three; unadjusted, it can be off by half or double. Treat them as a guide, not a measurement.

City7-day estimateBand
Cary≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Wilmington≈ 5 µg/m³Good
High Point≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Concord≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Gastonia≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Jacksonville≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Chapel Hill≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Rocky Mount≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Huntersville≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Burlington≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Wilson≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Kannapolis≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Apex≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Indian Trail≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Goldsboro≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Monroe≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Salisbury≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Holly Springs≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Matthews≈ 6 µg/m³Good
New Bern≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Fort Bragg≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Sanford≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Cornelius≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Garner≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Thomasville≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Statesville≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Asheboro≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Mint Hill≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Fuquay-Varina≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Kernersville≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Lumberton≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Kinston≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Carrboro≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Havelock≈ 6 µg/m³Good
Shelby≈ 4 µg/m³Good
Boone≈ 3 µg/m³Good
Elizabeth City≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Leland≈ 5 µg/m³Good
Lenoir≈ 3 µg/m³Good
Morganton≈ 4 µg/m³Good

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SmogRank, most polluted cities in North Carolina, United States, PM2.5, last 7 days to 2 Oct 2026, 00:00 UTC, smogrank.com/us/region/north-carolina?w=7d.

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Updated 2026-10-02 00:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 in µg/m³ (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors.