Report: 25 Percent of Americans Live With Poor Air Quality

According to a report from the First Street Foundation, roughly one-quarter of Americans live in places with unhealthy air quality. As Robin Foster explains in Health Day, First Street says that number could grow to 125 million in the coming decades. “Poor air quality is linked to increases in levels of both particulate matter and ozone, which are rising because of extreme heat, drought and wildfires. Particulate matter (PM2.5) is particularly dangerous because the tiny particles can penetrate the lungs and trigger a host of health problems.”

In some cases, the rising prevalence and growing strength of wildfires contribute to poor air quality, leading to the greatest declines in air quality in California, Oregon, and Washington. But the East Coast has not been immune from harmful impacts. Smoke from fires in the Florida panhandle prompted first-of-their-kind evacuations of residents.

Meanwhile, research from Redfin, highlighted in an article in The Hill, reveals that over 1.2 million people moved away from cities at risk of poor air quality between 2021 and 2022, and insurance companies are leaving states with high wildfire risk wholesale.