The smoke from Canadian wildfires that has enveloped the Northeast in an otherworldly orange haze has brought air quality in the region into sharp focus. So how good is the air we breathe?
According to a recent Forbes Health study, there is cause for concern in New York and Connecticut. Of the 256 most populated cities in the United States, Yonkers ranked 41st in terms of poor air quality, Buffalo 69th, Syracuse 109th and Rochester 153rd.
You are probably wondering where New York City ranks. It came in at 64th ”“ which, considering it is much larger than any other American city and is the densest city in the world, is relatively good. (Density was one of seven metrics used in the study, along with the Air Quality Index (AQI), asthma, driving, smoking, COPD and elevation.
In Connecticut, Waterbury was 101st, Bridgeport 112th, New Haven 135th, Hartford 154th and Stamford 216th, making Stamford one of the best American cities for respiration.
For full city rankings, charts and methodology, see Cities Where It”™s Hardest To Breathe.
