LA Smog Dominates U.S. Air Quality as California Faces Widespread Unhealthy Air

The 2026 State of the Air report shows Los Angeles-Long Beach as the nation’s worst metro for ozone, with 82% of Californians living in counties with unhealthy air and 44% of Americans in areas failing at least one pollution standard. The findings emphasize transportation and industry as primary sources and warn that federal rollbacks could weaken California’s clean-air authority, potentially causing more than 14,000 deaths and $145 billion in health costs through 2050. While some California areas posted improvements—Sacramento’s lower particle pollution and several cities with zero high-ozone or zero unhealthy PM2.5 days—advocates urge continued funding for zero-emission trucks and other controls to protect public health, especially children.