New ‘State of the Air’ Report Finds Amarillo Metro Area Ranks 79th Worst in the Country for Ozone Pollution

Today, the American Lung Association released the 2025 “State of the Air” report, which reveals that Amarillo metro area was named 79th most polluted in the nation for ozone pollution. Nationally, the report found that 156 million people (46%) are living in areas that had unhealthy levels of air pollution.

The Lung Association’s 26th 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 covered in this report are widespread and can impact anyone’s health. Both ozone and particle pollution can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive functioning later in life. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer,” said Charlie Gagen, Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association. “Unfortunately, too many people in Amarillo metro area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution. This air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, making people who work outdoors sick and unable to work, and leading to low birth weight in babies. We urge Texas policymakers to take action to improve our air quality and we are calling on everyone to support the incredibly important work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

Ground-level Ozone Pollution in the Amarillo-Borger, TX metro area:

The “State of the Air” report looked at levels of ozone “smog,” the air pollutant affecting the largest number of people in the United States. The Amarillo-Borger, TX metro area ranked 79th worst in the nation for ozone pollution. The ranking was based on the area’s worst county’s average number of unhealthy days—2.7 days per year, a D grade, in Randall County, Texas. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 53rd worst, with 2.3 days per year, a D grade. 

Particle Pollution in the Amarillo-Borger, TX metro area:

The report also tracked short-term spikes in particle pollution, which can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. The Amarillo-Borger, TX metro area ranked 139th worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution. The ranking was based on the area’s worst county’s average number of unhealthy days—1 day per year, a C grade, in Potter County, Texas. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 124th worst, with 0.3 days per year, a B grade. 

For the year-round average level of particle pollution, the area’s worst county, Potter County, Texas, received a passing grade for pollution levels below the federal standard. The Amarillo-Borger, TX metro area ranked 192nd worst in the nation (tied for 15th best among the nation's cleanest cities). This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 187th worst in the nation (tied for 16th best among the nation's cleanest cities).

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.