City report · South Carolina, United States
Charleston Air quality today
Air quality in Charleston currently reads AQI 70 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 70
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 19.5
- tree cover
- 27.0%
- trees in this area
- 38.4K
- more trees needed
- 4.3K
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around South of Broad, Charleston, SC 29401, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 14, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Charleston · AQI 70 (Moderate)
Charleston's tree count comes to 38,425 trees across 2.2 sq mi (5.69 km²) of land, 3 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 4,269 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Charleston today: AQI 70, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 09:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · North Charleston F.S, 4.7 mi (7.5 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
19.5
PM10
47.0
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirNow
- Outdoor exercise
- Fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier
- Windows
- Fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution
- Mask
- Not needed for most people
- Air purifier
- Worth running if you are sensitive
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Charleston's daily AQI at 47 on average, from 31 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 71 on Nov 10.
Where Charleston stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Charleston: Below target
27.0% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 2.2 sq mi (5.69 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
38,425
Target trees
42,694
More trees needed
4,269
CO₂ if planted / yr
93.9 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Charleston lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Charleston has lost about 1,910 acres (772 hectares) of forest (about 1,400 football fields): 11% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (94%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2018: satellite photo from August 2018 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,910 acres (772 ha)about 1,400 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 11%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 1,780 acres (722 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2019, when about 177 acres (72 hectares) of forest were lost.
Acres of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 107 acres (43 ha) | under 1 ha | 109 acres (44 ha) |
| 2002 | 67 acres (27 ha) | 5 acres (2 ha) | 72 acres (29 ha) |
| 2003 | 63 acres (25 ha) | under 1 ha | 64 acres (26 ha) |
| 2004 | 102 acres (41 ha) | 11 acres (5 ha) | 113 acres (46 ha) |
| 2005 | 56 acres (23 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 59 acres (24 ha) |
| 2006 | 68 acres (27 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 71 acres (29 ha) |
| 2007 | 70 acres (28 ha) | under 1 ha | 71 acres (29 ha) |
| 2008 | 97 acres (39 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 100 acres (41 ha) |
| 2009 | 68 acres (28 ha) | under 1 ha | 68 acres (28 ha) |
| 2010 | 21 acres (8 ha) | under 1 ha | 22 acres (9 ha) |
| 2011 | 16 acres (7 ha) | under 1 ha | 16 acres (7 ha) |
| 2012 | 78 acres (32 ha) | under 1 ha | 78 acres (32 ha) |
| 2013 | 92 acres (37 ha) | 10 acres (4 ha) | 102 acres (41 ha) |
| 2014 | 145 acres (59 ha) | 5 acres (2 ha) | 150 acres (61 ha) |
| 2015 | 69 acres (28 ha) | under 1 ha | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| 2016 | 139 acres (56 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 143 acres (58 ha) |
| 2017 | 128 acres (52 ha) | 7 acres (3 ha) | 135 acres (55 ha) |
| 2018 | 107 acres (43 ha) | under 1 ha | 107 acres (44 ha) |
| 2019 | 115 acres (47 ha) | 62 acres (25 ha) | 177 acres (72 ha) |
| 2020 | 42 acres (17 ha) | under 1 ha | 43 acres (17 ha) |
| 2021 | 10 acres (4 ha) | under 1 ha | 10 acres (4 ha) |
| 2022 | 38 acres (15 ha) | under 1 ha | 39 acres (16 ha) |
| 2023 | 29 acres (12 ha) | under 1 ha | 29 acres (12 ha) |
| 2024 | 29 acres (12 ha) | under 1 ha | 29 acres (12 ha) |
| 2025 | 27 acres (11 ha) | under 1 ha | 29 acres (12 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Charleston?
- Towns and roadscleared for good93% · 1,780 acres (720 ha)
- Storms, floods and other natural causescan grow back4.9% · 94 acres (38 ha)
- Unknown causescause unknown1.2% · 22 acres (9 ha)
Also: logging, farms, pasture and plantations, mining and energy.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 18,500 acres (7,490 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 19,300 acres (7,820 ha)
- Overall change
- +823 acres (333 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Charleston grew from about 18,500 acres (7,490 hectares) to 19,300 acres (7,820 hectares), a net gain of about 823 acres (333 hectares) (+4.4%). New forest grew on about 1,660 acres (671 hectares), while 833 acres (337 hectares) were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
These figures cover everything within 10 km of the city center, a wider area than the report above, because forest is usually lost at a city's edges.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. Forest gained and lost 2000–2020: Potapov et al. 2022, UMD GLAD Global Land Cover and Land Use Change, CC BY 4.0. Images: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data. How it's measured
In the same region
Measured cities near Charleston
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Savannah133.9 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 32%
- Air quality
- 87
- Columbia170.3 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 31%
- Air quality
- 63
- Wilmington245.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 39%
- Air quality
- 96
- Fayetteville271.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 43%
- Air quality
- 18
- Charlotte285.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 27%
- Air quality
- 51
- Jacksonville317.0 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 27%
- Air quality
- 67
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Frequently asked
Questions about Charleston
What is the air quality (AQI) in Charleston right now?
The latest reading for Charleston shows an AQI of 70 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 09:00 local time by the North Charleston F.S ground monitoring station, 4.7 mi (7.5 km) away, via OpenAQ. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Charleston today?
At AQI 70 (Moderate): fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier. Windows: fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution. Masks: not needed for most people. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.
What has the air quality in Charleston been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Charleston's daily AQI at 47 on average, from 31 on Nov 8 to an hourly peak of 71 on Nov 10. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Charleston lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Charleston has lost about 1,910 acres (772 hectares) of forest (about 1,400 football fields): 11% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (94%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Charleston grew from about 18,500 acres (7,490 hectares) to 19,300 acres (7,820 hectares), a net gain of about 823 acres (333 hectares) (+4.4%). New forest grew on about 1,660 acres (671 hectares), while 833 acres (337 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Charleston?
Charleston has an estimated 38,425 trees across the 2.2 sq mi (5.69 km²) of land measured — 27.0% tree cover, 3 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Charleston need?
Charleston needs roughly 4,269 more trees to close a 3-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 93.9 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Charleston's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near South of Broad, via OpenAQ; the 7-day trend is the Open-Meteo / CAMS model's estimate. Tree cover is measured from Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search satellite imagery at 10 m detail across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around South of Broad; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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