Approximately 140 million people lived in counties with unhealthy air pollution levels in 2023, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The potential damages of air pollution are widespread, from reduced crop yields to increased risk for heart disease, making cities with healthy air quality more desirable to live in.
As wildfires and flooding become more frequent, contributing to poor air quality, the search for a healthy place to live becomes more compelling. But is worsening air quality having any impact on home price growth? Conversely, are cities with the best air quality seeing more demand?
Using data from the EPA Air Quality Index Report, Zoocasa analyzed air quality across the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the U.S. for 2024. We quantified the air quality by counting the number of days classified as “good” (healthy) and those grouped as “unhealthy” (including days unhealthy for sensitive groups, days unhealthy, and days very unhealthy). Days categorized as moderate were not included in this analysis.
This air quality data was then correlated with median home prices from the National Association of Realtors and analyzed for price growth over one-year and five-year periods to assess how air quality may influence housing market trends.
Top Cities for Clean Air Days in 2024
With 94% of days having healthy air and only one day with unhealthy air, Cape Coral, FL has the overall best air quality among 100 cities. However, with a relatively low 5-year home price growth rate of 52.9%, good air quality is not enough to drive demand up, especially as the region deals with hurricanes, higher insurance costs, and increased supply. From 2023 to 2024, the median home price decreased by 3.7% to $390,000.
The next metro to experience over 300 days of good air is Syracuse, NY, with 87.4% of days having healthy air and zero unhealthy days. While home prices remain low, they are appreciating at the third-highest rate among all analyzed cities. From 2019 to 2024, Syracuse’s median home price increased by 74% to $262,200. Although air quality may have some influence, it's unlikely to be a major factor in the surge in demand and price.
Fayetteville, AR takes the spot for having the third-highest amount of good air days in 2024 with 304 days (83% of the year) and just one unhealthy day. Fayetteville’s median home price growth is impressive, ranking ninth for 5-year price growth at 63.4%, beating out larger metros like Boston and San Francisco.
Among the nation’s most populated metros, Portland, OR, had the most days with good air in 2024 at 291. Despite this, home price growth in the area has been relatively slow. From 2019 to 2024, the median home price increased by 46.4%, and from 2023 to 2024, the price increased by just 2.6%. Other populated metros with a lot of good air days include Baltimore, Boston, and Washington, DC.
These Cities Had Less Than 100 Days of Healthy Air in 2024
Of the 13 metros with less than 100 days of good air in 2024, three are in California and three are in Texas. Los Angeles experienced the fewest days of good air quality, with only 42 healthy days and 110 unhealthy days, which represents 30.1% of the year. The metro has also experienced less rapid home price growth than average, with the median home price increasing by just 45.9% in five years.
However, Los Angeles isn’t the city with the largest number of days with unhealthy air. That title goes to Riverside, CA, with 39% of the year having unhealthy air, equalling 143 unhealthy air days. Despite having a decently large amount of days with healthy air, Spokane, WA, had the third-highest amount of days of unhealthy air at 96. Bakersfield, CA, and Phoenix, AZ follow, both with 76 days of unhealthy air.
In Texas, El Paso has the highest frequency of days of unhealthy air. El Paso experienced 60 days of unhealthy air in 2024, or 16.4% of the year, and only 59 days of healthy air. Still, El Paso’s median home price is increasing steadily by 5.1% year-over-year.
Air quality conditions in Houston and Dallas are not much better, however, with Houston experiencing 51 days of unhealthy air, equalling 13.9% of the year, and Dallas experiencing 41 days, equalling 11.2% of the year. Houston also experienced one of the lower 5-year price growth rates, with the median home price rising by only 39.9%. Similarly, the median home price in Dallas increased by just 41.7% from 2019 to 2024, far below the average rate of increase of 52.2%.
What Does All This Mean for Home Buyers?
Air quality is not currently a major factor in determining home price growth. Housing inventory, migration trends, local amenities, employment opportunities, and government policy have greater impacts on how much or how little an area’s median price will rise.
However, as environmental factors change and conditions in some cities become more severe, air quality may become more important in predicting demand. Cities with many days of healthy air may attract home buyers more rapidly in the future than cities with deteriorating air quality conditions.
Though not always the case, cities that enjoy more days with good air quality often face lower risks of environmental disasters such as flooding and fires, potentially enhancing their popularity.
The average American homeowner stays in their home for 8 years, meaning it is important to think long-term when you buy a home. Considering the factors that are likely to boost your home’s value can guide you in selecting a location and property that offer the best potential for building equity.
Considering a move this year? Our agents can help! Give us a call today to speak with an agent in your area and start planning your next real estate endeavor.
