Breathing This City’s Air for a Year Is Equivalent to Smoking 171 Cigarettes

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This week, smoke from Canadian wildfires and a stagnant, high-pressure heat dome are trapping large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast in a dense particulate haze. As fine particulate matter concentrations approach unhealthy levels, the NWS has issued air quality alerts in 219 counties, representing more than 13 million Americans.

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Degradations in air quality are common in the summertime, and have significant health impacts. While the reduction of air pollution in the United States since 1970 is one of the great public health successes of the last 50 years, air quality still varies widely throughout the country. No amount of particulate matter is safe to breathe, and in some polluted cities exposure to air has the equivalent health effect of smoking more than 100 cigarettes in a year.

In a recent study, researchers from air purifier review site HouseFresh determined the health impacts of air pollution in the most populated cities around the world. Using data on year-round particulate matter, the authors found that breathing air in one U.S. city has the equivalent health effect of smoking upwards 171 cigarettes. While many of the metros with the most harmful air are in the West – where wildfires and ozone compound particulate matter concentrations – the most polluted cities range from California to Louisiana to Georgia. A closer look at the data reveals the U.S. cities where residents are smoking the most cigarettes indirectly due to air pollution.

To determine the U.S. cities where residents are smoking the most cigarettes indirectly due to air pollution, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data published July 2025 from HouseFresh. Cities were ranked based on the cigarette-equivalent of average year-round particulate matter concentration. Data on average year-round particulate matter concentration are for 2024, while the conversion factor for determining the cigarette equivalents of air pollution are based on estimates from Berkeley Earth.

19. Omaha, NE

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 133 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.0 µg/m³
• Total population: 489,201

 

19. Kansas City, MO

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 133 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.0 µg/m³
• Total population: 505,958

 

18. Knoxville, TN

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 134 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.1 µg/m³
• Total population: 191,857

 

17. Columbus, OH

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 136 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.2 µg/m³
• Total population: 902,449

 

16. Atlanta, GA

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 138 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.3 µg/m³
• Total population: 494,838

 

15. Tulsa, OK

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 138 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.3 µg/m³
• Total population: 411,938

 

14. Detroit, MI

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 139 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.4 µg/m³
• Total population: 636,787

 

13. Houston, TX

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 139 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.4 µg/m³
• Total population: 2,296,253

 

12. Chicago, IL

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 139 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.4 µg/m³
• Total population: 2,721,914

 

11. Jackson, MS

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 141 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.5 µg/m³
• Total population: 153,271

 

7. Little Rock, AR

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 144 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.7 µg/m³
• Total population: 202,218

 

7. San Antonio, TX

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 144 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.7 µg/m³
• Total population: 1,445,662

 

7. Memphis, TN

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 144 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.7 µg/m³
• Total population: 630,027

 

7. Oklahoma City, OK

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 144 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.7 µg/m³
• Total population: 681,088

 

6. Fort Worth, TX

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 146 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 8.8 µg/m³
• Total population: 924,663

 

5. Baton Rouge, LA

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 163 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 9.8 µg/m³
• Total population: 225,500

 

3. Augusta, GA

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 168 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 10.1 µg/m³
• Total population: 201,615

 

3. Los Angeles, CA

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 168 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 10.1 µg/m³
• Total population: 3,881,041

 

2. Fresno, CA

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 169 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 10.2 µg/m³
• Total population: 541,528

 

1. Boise, ID

• Cigarette equivalents indirectly smoked due to air pollution: 171 per year
• Average year-round PM2.5 concentration: 10.3 µg/m³
• Total population: 234,192

 

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