Yet, a 2026 report from price comparison website Compare the Market found that New York State has the cleanest air on the East Coast. The report, called the Global Air Quality and Respiratory Health Ranking, puts New York ahead of states like Florida and Vermont, showing that the East Coast's cleanest air isn't confined to New England forests and tropical beaches. The report takes four key metrics into account for its final scoring: fine air pollution, industrial toxins, asthma prevalence, and respiratory deaths. In addition to air quality, the ranking analyzes the respiratory health of residents in each state. The state with the cleanest air is Hawaii, followed by South Dakota, Nebraska, and New Jersey in fifth place.