Loading MoverMath…
Annual upward radiance.
This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.
Annual mean upward radiance within county boundaries, in nanowatts per square centimetre per steradian. VIIRS measures artificial light emitted upward to the satellite; lower values generally mean less upward light. It does not measure skyglow overhead, a Bortle class, or how dark a particular yard appears — clouds, terrain and nearby sources can differ. NASA Black Marble annual composite, 2025.
Wyoming has the lowest published light pollution in this comparison, at 0.2 nW/cm²/sr. The next states shown are Montana (0.3 nW/cm²/sr) and Vermont (0.4 nW/cm²/sr).
The table orders 51 states by annual upward radiance. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.
Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Annual mean upward radiance within county boundaries, in nanowatts per square centimetre per steradian. VIIRS measures artificial light emitted upward to the satellite; lower values generally mean less upward light. It does not measure skyglow overhead, a Bortle class, or how dark a particular yard appears — clouds, terrain and nearby sources can differ. NASA Black Marble annual composite, 2025.
Free to use. The chart names its source and links back, so it stays honest wherever it ends up.
<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/light-pollution" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Annual upward radiance by state"></iframe>Source: NASA Black Marble VNP46A4 / VIIRS. · How this is built