Rankings
Places with the cleanest air in the UK
Two pollutants, measured for the kilometre square around each point and scored against the World Health Organization guidelines rather than the looser UK limits.
In short
The places with the cleanest air in the UK are ranked here on Defra modelled background concentrations of fine particulates and nitrogen dioxide, scored against World Health Organization 2021 guideline levels. The current top three are Bangor (100), Carlisle (100) and Carmarthen (100).
- Environment category: Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, fine particulates at 60 per cent and nitrogen dioxide at 40 per cent, for the 1 km grid square containing the point.
- Ranked from 539 indexed UK areas, rebuilt daily from the latest published figures.
- Every area links to a full report with the source behind each figure.
| # | Area | Nation | Score | Cost of living | Safety | Weather | Broadband |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Bangor | Wales | 100 | 87 | 53 | 75 | 69 |
| =1 | Carlisle | England | 100 | 90 | 46 | 63 | 80 |
| =1 | Carmarthen | Wales | 100 | 89 | 55 | 62 | 69 |
| =1 | Dumfries | Scotland | 100 | 97 | 48 | 22 | 68 |
| =1 | Dundee | Scotland | 100 | 81 | 27 | 67 | 97 |
| =1 | Hayle | England | 100 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 69 |
| =1 | Merthyr Tydfil | Wales | 100 | 85 | 52 | 62 | 86 |
| =1 | Oban | Scotland | 100 | 81 | 60 | 45 | 35 |
| =1 | Penzance | England | 100 | 70 | 57 | 67 | 69 |
| =1 | Perth | Scotland | 100 | 86 | 59 | 67 | 60 |
Category scores are 0 to 100 and a dash means that dataset has not loaded for the area yet, in which case it is excluded from the overall score rather than guessed at. Open any area for the full report and its sources.
Places with the cleanest air in the UK: the full ranking
Areas are ranked on whatever categories they have, with the weights renormalised over them, so an area with a gap is scored on its own remaining evidence. Show only areas measured on all twelve categories to compare like with like.
Best in Scotland
Best in England
Best in Wales
Ranked from 539 indexed areas by TrackPostcode.UK scores. Coverage grows as more areas are indexed.
About this ranking
How is the air quality ranking worked out?
From Defra modelled background concentrations for the 1 km grid square containing each point: fine particulates at 60 per cent of the score and nitrogen dioxide at 40 per cent, compared against the World Health Organization 2021 guideline levels of 5 and 10 micrograms per cubic metre. An area meeting both guidelines scores 100. Right now the highest are Bangor (100/100), Carlisle (100/100), Carmarthen (100/100).
Are these measured readings?
No. They are modelled background concentrations for a kilometre square, published by Defra under Crown copyright, not readings from a monitoring station. A busy road inside an otherwise clean square will be worse than the square average, and a garden set back from it will be better.
Does the cleanest air always mean the best place to live?
Not on its own. Air quality is one of twelve categories and the areas that score highest on it are often rural, which can mean lower scores for transport, amenities and healthcare access. Open the full report for any area on this list before drawing a conclusion from one category.
Every ranking
The same index ordered by a different measurement each time, from the same twelve category scores and rebuilt daily. Each one states on its own page what it measures and what it does not.
What this ranking measures: Environment category: Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, fine particulates at 60 per cent and nitrogen dioxide at 40 per cent, for the 1 km grid square containing the point. Read the full methodology before quoting a figure.
Primary source: Defra UK-AIR. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.