Median AQI
40
Good
Kentucky · County air quality · 2025
Pulaski County, Kentucky
Median AQI 40 (Good). 81.4% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 40
- Median AQI
- 81.4%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 60%
- Cleaner than US counties
Pulaski County's 2025 annual median AQI is 40 (Good), with 81.4% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Pulaski County, Kentucky posted a 2025 median AQI of 40 (Good) across 365 monitored days, with 81.4% 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
- Pulaski County's 81.4% Good-day share places it cleaner than 60% of US counties in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Anderson County (91.3% Good, median AQI 40) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Pulaski County.
- 2020–2025 trend
- Pulaski County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is worsening from 2020 to 2025 (86.9% → 81.4%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 40
The verdict
According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, Pulaski County's air is good on balance, cleaner than the median US county, a median AQI of 40 with 81.4% of 365 monitored days in the Good band, driven mainly by PM2.5.
- 40
- median AQI · Good
- 81.4%
- days rated Good
- PM2.5
- main pollutant
- 60%
- cleaner than US counties
Not one day crossed into the Unhealthy tier; the worst single reading was AQI 73.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Pulaski County's Good-day share rose from 79.8% to 81.4% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1.6 percentage points.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 297 d · 81.4%
- Moderate · 68 d · 18.6%
How did Pulaski County's air break down in 2025?
Across 365 monitored days, 297 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 73 (Moderate).
EPA AQS →Air quality data from EPA Air Quality System (2025). 365 days monitored. Median AQI: 40 (Good).
Insights: Pulaski County, Kentucky. EPA monitors recorded a median Air Quality Index of 40 across 365 measured days in 2025, earning a Good classification and a Good health grade. Of those days, 297 (81%) fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50), 68 (19%) registered Moderate readings, and 0 (0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The 90th-percentile AQI settled at 54, while the worst single-day peak hit 73 (Moderate). Residents averaged about 24.4 clean-air days per 30-day window during the monitoring year.
The full pollutant mix ranks as PM2.5 (206 days), Ozone (159 days). Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -5.6 points (measured against 283 monitored days in 2020 and 365 in 2025, so raw day counts are not comparable) and the median AQI moved +2 points, placing the multi-year trajectory at worsening. The worst single reading over the 2020–2025 window was AQI 73, moderate but never Unhealthy. Nearby counties show comparable readings: Bell (67.0% good, AQI 42); Boone (87.6% good, AQI 38); Boyd (80.0% good, AQI 39); Bullitt (88.4% good, AQI 39); Campbell (75.6% good, AQI 39); Carter (89.0% good, AQI 36).
Air Quality Summary
Good Days
81.4%
297 of 365 monitored days
6.4pp vs 75% target
Max AQI Recorded
73
Moderate
Health Grade
Good
90th-pct AQI 54
Pulaski County, Good days share 81.4%
National avg
Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).
Pulaski County, Unhealthy-or-worse share 0.0%
National avg
Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
297
81%
Moderate
68
19%
USG
0
0%
Unhealthy
0
0%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Pollutant Breakdown
Days where each pollutant was the primary driver of AQI readings in Pulaski County.
- PM2.5 · 206 days · 56.4%
- Ozone · 159 days · 43.6%
Health Impact Assessment
Good
Pulaski County's air quality is rated Good based on 81.4% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.
Air quality was acceptable on 81.4% of monitored days in 2025, with a median AQI of 40. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.
The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 206 of 365 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is worsening in Pulaski County. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (86.9%, 246 of 283 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 246 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 77 |
| 2021 | 229 | 131 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 101 |
| 2022 | 259 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 82 |
| 2023 | 232 | 129 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 120 |
| 2024 | 292 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 68 |
| 2025 | 297 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 73 |
How does Pulaski County compare?
How Pulaski County compares
Good-day share better than typical
Pulaski County 81.4%
Anderson County, South Carolina 91.3%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Pulaski County 40
Anderson County, South Carolina 40
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Pulaski County 0
Anderson County, South Carolina 0
Typical US county 1
Counties with a similar median AQI
Nationwide peers within about the same annual median AQI as Pulaski County (40), not geographic neighbors.
Anderson County, South Carolina
Median AQI 40 · 91.3% Good-day share
Andrew County, Missouri
Median AQI 40 · 86.9% Good-day share
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Median AQI 40 · 87.6% Good-day share
Bergen County, New Jersey
Median AQI 40 · 71.1% Good-day share
Blair County, Pennsylvania
Median AQI 40 · 76.9% Good-day share
Brazos County, Texas
Median AQI 40 · 68.5% Good-day share
Same primary pollutant: PM2.5
PM2.5 led the AQI on the most monitored days here. These peers share that driver and the closest Good-day share (a second relationship type beyond median-AQI neighbors).
New London County, Connecticut
81.3% Good-day share · median AQI 38
Lawrence County, Tennessee
81.5% Good-day share · median AQI 33
Mitchell County, North Carolina
81.5% Good-day share · median AQI 31
Guaynabo County, Puerto Rico
81.6% Good-day share · median AQI 33
Carter County, Oklahoma
81.6% Good-day share · median AQI 32
Cedar County, Missouri
81.6% Good-day share · median AQI 39
Kentucky counties on the map
Geographic containment only, other monitored counties in Kentucky, independent of AQI or pollutant match.
What Pulaski County's air means for you
The air here stays in the breathable range year-round, with PM2.5 the main thing to watch.
- Sensitive groups (asthma, heart conditions, children, older adults) should check the AQI on high-PM2.5 days, the guide explains what a median of 40 means for exposure. Health guidance
- See how Pulaski County ranks against every monitored U.S. county on Good-day share. County rankings
- Compare Pulaski County with its Kentucky neighbours before drawing a conclusion about the region. All of Kentucky
Based on 365 EPA-monitored days in 2025; figures reflect only days the monitors reported. Source: EPA Air Quality System annual summaries.
Keep exploring the annual AQI record
Air-quality reading list
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Pulaski County, Kentucky? ▼
Pulaski County has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 40, rated "Good." 81.4% of monitored days (297 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
What is the main pollutant in Pulaski County? ▼
The primary pollutant in Pulaski County is Fine Particles (PM2.5), which was the main AQI driver on 206 days (56% of monitored days). Penetrates deep into lungs and bloodstream. Linked to heart disease and premature death.
How many unhealthy air days does Pulaski County have? ▼
In 2025, Pulaski County recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 73.
Is the air quality in Pulaski County getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in Pulaski County is worsening across floor-qualifying years (2020-2025); years with fewer than 100 monitored days are excluded from that direction. Highest qualifying Good-day share: 2020 at 86.9% (246 of 283 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2021 at 63.4% (229 of 361 days).
What does AQI 40 mean for health? ▼
Pulaski County's median AQI of 40 falls in the "Good" category. See the AQI category guide for what each range means for health.
How does Pulaski County compare to other counties in Kentucky? ▼
Pulaski County has 81.4% good air days. Nearby counties in Kentucky: Bell (67.0% good), Boone (87.6% good), Boyd (80.0% good), Bullitt (88.4% good), Campbell (75.6% good), Carter (89.0% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI in Pulaski County? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for Pulaski County is 54, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 73 (Moderate).
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 Pulaski County, Kentucky · 2020–2025
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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.