United States · Nebraska · 2 places
Air quality in Nebraska today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Omaha has the cleanest air of the 2 Nebraska cities we track (AQI 20, Good), and Omaha the worst (AQI 20, Good). Lincoln has the most tree cover, at 60.4% — #5 of 278 large US cities.
Every place is measured the same way, over the same 1.2 mi (2 km) around its center: the air quality right now, from ground stations where there are any, and its tree cover.
- places tracked
- 2
- average tree cover
- 37.8%
- US cities: 25.1%
- worst air now: Omaha
- 20
- cleanest air now: Omaha
- 20
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Nebraska
Air quality today across Nebraska, city by city
| Omaha | 20Good | 15.2% | 45.6K | #188 of 278 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln | 19Good | 60.4% | — | #5 of 278 |
Air quality is the US AQI from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where available, otherwise the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, refreshed hourly. Tree cover is measured within 1.2 mi (2 km) of each city center from Sentinel-2 imagery. The US greenness rank covers cities of 100,000+ people; see the full ranking.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Nebraska lost?
Since 2001, Nebraska has lost about 41,400 acres (16,800 hectares) of forest (about 31,000 football fields): 4.9% of the forest it had in 2000. The biggest cause was wildfires (38%), after which forest can grow back. About 12,400 acres (5,010 hectares) (30%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 41,400 acres (16,800 ha)about 31,000 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 4.9%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 12,400 acres (5,010 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Acres of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 79 acres (32 ha) | 482 acres (195 ha) | 561 acres (227 ha) |
| 2002 | 93 acres (38 ha) | 424 acres (172 ha) | 516 acres (209 ha) |
| 2003 | 189 acres (76 ha) | 427 acres (173 ha) | 615 acres (249 ha) |
| 2004 | 257 acres (104 ha) | 1,760 acres (711 ha) | 2,010 acres (815 ha) |
| 2005 | 264 acres (107 ha) | 2,190 acres (885 ha) | 2,450 acres (992 ha) |
| 2006 | 177 acres (72 ha) | 1,040 acres (421 ha) | 1,220 acres (493 ha) |
| 2007 | 353 acres (143 ha) | 1,140 acres (461 ha) | 1,490 acres (604 ha) |
| 2008 | 181 acres (73 ha) | 466 acres (189 ha) | 647 acres (262 ha) |
| 2009 | 235 acres (95 ha) | 370 acres (150 ha) | 605 acres (245 ha) |
| 2010 | 196 acres (79 ha) | 395 acres (160 ha) | 591 acres (239 ha) |
| 2011 | 321 acres (130 ha) | 546 acres (221 ha) | 867 acres (351 ha) |
| 2012 | 672 acres (272 ha) | 2,430 acres (982 ha) | 3,100 acres (1,250 ha) |
| 2013 | 1,280 acres (517 ha) | 7,590 acres (3,070 ha) | 8,860 acres (3,590 ha) |
| 2014 | 974 acres (394 ha) | 1,760 acres (711 ha) | 2,730 acres (1,110 ha) |
| 2015 | 778 acres (315 ha) | 514 acres (208 ha) | 1,290 acres (523 ha) |
| 2016 | 1,010 acres (410 ha) | 598 acres (242 ha) | 1,610 acres (652 ha) |
| 2017 | 1,070 acres (434 ha) | 645 acres (261 ha) | 1,720 acres (695 ha) |
| 2018 | 1,030 acres (418 ha) | 630 acres (255 ha) | 1,660 acres (673 ha) |
| 2019 | 521 acres (211 ha) | 588 acres (238 ha) | 1,110 acres (449 ha) |
| 2020 | 309 acres (125 ha) | 376 acres (152 ha) | 684 acres (277 ha) |
| 2021 | 306 acres (124 ha) | 558 acres (226 ha) | 865 acres (350 ha) |
| 2022 | 608 acres (246 ha) | 1,170 acres (474 ha) | 1,780 acres (720 ha) |
| 2023 | 482 acres (195 ha) | 1,010 acres (408 ha) | 1,490 acres (603 ha) |
| 2024 | 586 acres (237 ha) | 642 acres (260 ha) | 1,230 acres (497 ha) |
| 2025 | 395 acres (160 ha) | 1,340 acres (543 ha) | 1,740 acres (703 ha) |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 1,420 acres (575 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 1,360 acres (549 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2013, when about 8,860 acres (3,590 hectares) of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
What is causing deforestation in Nebraska?
- Wildfirescan grow back38% · 15,600 acres (6,330 ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good26% · 10,900 acres (4,420 ha)
- Loggingcan grow back15% · 6,370 acres (2,580 ha)
Also: storms, floods and other natural causes, towns and roads, mining and energy, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
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. How it's measured
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Cleaner air at home in Nebraska
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