Moving Guide for Air Quality
Relocating to a new city is a major decision. Air quality should be a top consideration for your health, outdoor lifestyle, and long-term wellbeing. This comprehensive guide helps you research, evaluate, and choose locations with clean air.
Complete Air Quality Research Checklist
Review Historical AQI Data
What to do: Look at 5+ years of monthly AQI averages for potential cities. Don't rely on current year alone.
Key Questions:
- • What's the average AQI for each month?
- • How many Code Orange+ days per year?
- • Is air quality improving or worsening?
- • Are there any months with consistently bad air?
- • What's the worst-case AQI in a bad year?
Red flags: Any month averaging 70+ AQI, 30+ Code Orange days/year, worsening 5-year trend
Investigate Seasonal Patterns
Summer (June-August):
- • Ozone alerts frequency?
- • Wildfire smoke history?
- • Heat wave impacts?
- • Can you exercise outdoors safely?
Winter (December-February):
- • Winter inversion problems?
- • Wood smoke issues?
- • Valley location that traps air?
- • Frequency/duration of bad air?
Understand Local Pollution Sources
Avoid Living Near:
- • Major highways/freeways (500m buffer)
- • Industrial facilities
- • Airports (flight path pollution)
- • Rail yards with diesel engines
- • Ports and shipping terminals
Prefer Living Near:
- • Parks and green spaces
- • Water bodies (if coastal)
- • Residential neighborhoods
- • Areas upwind of city center
- • Higher elevations in city
Evaluate Geography & Climate
Geographic Advantages:
- • Coastal: Ocean breeze disperses pollution, prevents ozone formation
- • High elevation: Above inversion layers, cooler temps
- • Open terrain: Wind can move pollutants, no trapping
- • Prevailing winds: Blow from clean areas (ocean, forests)
Geographic Disadvantages:
- • Mountain valley: Traps cold air and pollution in winter
- • Basin geography: Creates stagnant air conditions
- • Inland: Hotter summers = more ozone formation
- • Downwind of industry: Receives transported pollution
Visit During Worst Air Quality Season
Why this matters: A city can look perfect in spring but be unlivable in summer (ozone) or winter (inversions).
Visit Checklist:
- • Check daily AQI forecast for your visit dates
- • Do outdoor activities you plan to do regularly
- • Notice any haze, smell, or respiratory irritation?
- • Talk to locals about air quality patterns
- • Walk/bike in neighborhoods you're considering
- • Check if you can see distant mountains/landmarks
Examples: Visit Salt Lake in January, LA in August, Seattle in late August
Research Future Air Quality Trends
Air quality isn't static. Climate change, development, and policy changes affect future air quality.
Improving Trends:
- • Stricter emission regulations
- • Industry closures/relocations
- • EV adoption increasing
- • Renewable energy transition
Worsening Trends:
- • Rapid population growth
- • Increasing wildfire risk
- • Rising temperatures (more ozone)
- • New industrial development
Common Relocation Mistakes
Mistake 1: Only Checking Current AQI
You visit in April when AQI is 35 and think "perfect air quality!" But you didn't check that July-August averages 120 with daily ozone alerts, or January has 2-week inversions with AQI over 150.
Fix: Review all 12 months of historical data for 5+ years
Mistake 2: Ignoring Climate Change
"Seattle had great air quality for 100 years!" Yes, but now wildfire smoke creates hazardous conditions for weeks most summers. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results with changing climate.
Fix: Research wildfire trends, heat patterns, drought conditions
Mistake 3: Focusing Only on City Average
City average AQI might be 50, but the neighborhood next to the freeway averages 80+. Or west side is clean but east side near industrial zone is polluted. Within-city variation can be enormous.
Fix: Check specific neighborhood monitors, map pollution sources
Mistake 4: Not Considering Your Health
"30 Code Orange days per year isn't that bad." Except you have asthma. Or young kids. Or plan to run marathons. Your personal health situation determines what level of pollution is acceptable.
Fix: Set stricter standards if you're in a high-risk group
Air Quality Standards for Relocation
Excellent Choice
- • Year-round average AQI under 50
- • Fewer than 10 Code Orange days/year
- • No Code Red days in past 5 years
- • No known seasonal pollution issues
- • Improving or stable trends
Examples: Honolulu, Santa Barbara, Naples FL
Acceptable (with awareness)
- • Year-round average AQI 50-65
- • 10-30 Code Orange days/year
- • Occasional Code Red (2-5/year)
- • 1-2 months of elevated pollution
- • Can plan around bad seasons
Examples: Denver (avoid Jan), Portland (avoid Aug)
Think Twice
- • Year-round average AQI over 65
- • More than 30 Code Orange days/year
- • Regular Code Red days
- • 3+ months of poor air quality
- • Worsening trends
Examples: LA, Houston, Salt Lake (winter), Bakersfield
Questions to Ask Locals
When Touring Neighborhoods:
- • "What months have the worst air quality?"
- • "Do you check AQI before outdoor activities?"
- • "How often do schools cancel outdoor recess?"
- • "Do you own air purifiers?"
- • "Can you exercise outdoors in summer?"
- • "Have wildfires affected this area?"
Real Estate Agent Questions:
- • "How far is this from major highways?"
- • "Any industrial facilities nearby?"
- • "Which direction is prevailing wind?"
- • "Is this neighborhood upwind or downwind of downtown?"
- • "Do homes here have air filtration systems?"
- • "Have you heard air quality concerns from residents?"