California · County air quality · 2024
San Francisco County, California
Median AQI 33 (Good). 76.0% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 33
- Median AQI
- 76.0%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 40%
- Cleaner than US counties
San Francisco County's 2024 annual median AQI is 33 (Good), with 76.0% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, San Francisco County, California posted a 2024 median AQI of 33 (Good) across 334 monitored days, with 76.0% rated Good and 0 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual comparison, not today's advisory.
Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
- Cleaner than US
- San Francisco County's 76.0% Good-day share places it cleaner than 40% of US counties in 2024.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Columbia County (94.2% Good, median AQI 36) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to San Francisco County.
- 2020–2024 trend
- San Francisco County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is improving from 2020 to 2024 (62.2% → 76.0%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 33
According to the 2024 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, San Francisco County, California ranks #2 of 15 by median AQI (33) and #9 by good-day share (76.0%). San Mateo County, California is #1 of 15 by median AQI (27, 88.1% Good days) at good-day-share #5 ≠ Chattooga County, Georgia #1 by good-day share (96.3%, median AQI 39) at median-AQI #5.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2024 EPA annual release
- San Francisco County's Good-day share fell from 81.9% to 76.0% between the 2023 and 2024 EPA annual releases, a change of -5.9 percentage points.
- San Francisco County's peak single-day AQI fell from 117 to 94 between the 2023 and 2024 EPA annual releases, a change of -23 points.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 254 d · 76.0%
- Moderate · 80 d · 24.0%
How did San Francisco County's air break down in 2024?
Across 334 monitored days, 254 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 94 (Moderate).
EPA AQS →Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).
Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).
Where San Francisco County sits nationally
COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2024. San Francisco County's Good-day share is 76.0% - cleaner than 40% of that comparison set.
San Francisco County Good-day share vs. every US county
Share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release
76.0% 40th percentile higher than 40% of 951 US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (AQS) · 2024
Pollutant Breakdown
Days where each pollutant was the primary driver of AQI readings in San Francisco County.
- PM2.5 · 304 days · 91.0%
- Ozone · 22 days · 6.6%
- NO₂ · 8 days · 2.4%
2024 daily-monitor rhythm in San Francisco County
Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (334 reported days in 2024). Sep posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 51, peak 66); Nov was cleanest at median 19. Summer months (Jun–Aug) averaged median AQI 41 vs 35 in Dec–Feb.
Five-year seasonal record
EPA day-level county files · 2020–20241,794 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Sep has the highest matched-month median AQI (47), while Jul is lowest (31). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.
Lower AQI is better. The colors summarize EPA AQI bands; gaps mean the county had no day-level record for that month.
Health Impact Assessment
San Francisco County's air quality is rated Good based on 76.0% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2024.
Air quality was acceptable on 76.0% of monitored days in 2024, with a median AQI of 33. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.
The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 304 of 334 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is improving in San Francisco County. Highest Good-day share: 2023 (81.9%, 299 of 365 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 227 | 131 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 223 |
| 2021 | 255 | 110 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 86 |
| 2022 | 260 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 88 |
| 2023 | 299 | 65 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 117 |
| 2024 | 254 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 94 |
How does San Francisco County compare?
How San Francisco County compares
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by County dataset, 2020–2025 (aqs.epa.gov). For current conditions (not shown here — this page is historical annual data), see EPA AirNow (airnow.gov). See our methodology for how AQI, median, and coverage figures are computed.
Informational only, not professional advice. Data from EPA AQS. See our disclaimer. Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by county summary files for San Francisco County, California · 2020–2025
Download this county's annual AQI row as CSV , with the same EPA fields and denominator shown on this page.
Every figure on PlainAirData is rendered directly from EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.