Houston ranks among worst in U.S. for air pollution
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Houston continues to be one of the most polluted places to live in the country, according to an annual American Lung Association report released this week.
Why it matters: Pollution raises the risk of asthma attacks, heart problems and premature death — especially for children, seniors and people with existing conditions, the report warns.
Driving the news: The Houston metro ranked 6th worst in the nation for ozone pollution in the 2026 State of the Air report, up from 7th last year.
- The ranking is based on Harris County's average of 43.3 unhealthy air days per year — an F grade — up from 34.8 days last year.
- For year-round particle pollution, the region ranked 8th worst, unchanged from last year, with levels above federal standards.
Zoom out: 44% of Americans — over 152 million people — are living in places with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.
- Climate change-driven heat, drought and wildfires are making pollution harder to control, per the group.
State of play: The ALA found that ozone pollution worsened across much of the U.S. over the past two years after a run of successful reductions, "demonstrating that past progress is fragile."
- The report warns that recent EPA rollbacks, such as the repeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding in February and the weakening of power plant and vehicle emission standards, threaten to reverse decades of air quality gains.
- "We urge Texas policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, including ensuring every county has air quality monitors, and we are calling on everyone to tell EPA that our kids' health counts," Charlie Gagen, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association, said in a statement.
What they're saying: Air Alliance Houston's research and policy director, Inyang Uwak, tells Axios the new Lung Association findings reflect long‑standing problems driven by Houston's car dependence, industrial expansion, weak regulatory oversight and rising temperatures.
- "We're still dealing with this amount of pollution instead of driving the trend downward — the trend is going upwards," Uwak says.
What we're watching: Data centers as a rising pollution threat. Harris County has a couple of dozen active ones, with several more planned.
- The report points to the rapid growth and fossil fuel use of data centers as a potential driver of local air pollution, though it doesn't quantify their emissions.
Pro tip: The ALA says to keep yourself and others safe by checking daily air pollution forecasts at Airnow.gov and reducing vehicle and home energy use to lower emissions.