New Jersey · County air quality · 2025

Union County, New Jersey

Median AQI 44 (Good). 61.2% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.

44
Median AQI
61.2%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
17%
Cleaner than US counties

Union County's 2025 annual median AQI is 44 (Good), with 61.2% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Union County, New Jersey posted a 2025 median AQI of 44 (Good) across 363 monitored days, with 61.2% 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
Union County's 61.2% Good-day share places it cleaner than 17% of US counties in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Allegan County (63.9% Good, median AQI 44) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Union County.
2020–2025 trend
Union County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is improving from 2020 to 2025 (54.1% → 61.2%).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 44

According to the 2025 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Union County, New Jersey ranks #680 of 951 by median AQI (44) and #793 by good-day share (61.2%). Ponce County, Puerto Rico is #1 of 951 by median AQI (3, 91.4% Good days) at good-day-share #159 ≠ largest of 7 at 100.0% Good days #1 by good-day share (100.0%, median AQI 9) at median-AQI #7.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Union County's peak single-day AQI rose from 85 to 111 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +26 points.
  • Union County's Good-day share fell from 62.6% to 61.2% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -1.4 percentage points.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 363 in 2025. These are arithmetic differences between two stored EPA annual summaries, not a cause claim or a live advisory.

National release changes Two-year CSV

Data updated August 2026

Union County AQI category distribution Stacked-segment bar showing the share of monitored days that fell in each EPA AQI category, Good, Moderate, USG, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, Hazardous, with median AQI marker. AQI category distribution 363 monitored days G M Median AQI 44 0 50 100 150 200 300 500 Union County
  • Good · 222 d · 61.2%
  • Moderate · 140 d · 38.6%
  • USG · 1 d · 0.3%

How did Union County's air break down in 2025?

Across 363 monitored days, 222 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 111 (USG).

EPA AQS →
Union County, Good days share 61.2%
National avg

Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).

Union 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).

Where Union County sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2025. Union County's Good-day share is 61.2% - cleaner than 17% of that comparison set.

Union County Good-day share vs. every US county

Share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release

61.2% 17th percentile higher than 17% of 951 US counties

0.0%–5.0%: 0 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 5.0%–10.0%: 1 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 10.0%–15.0%: 4 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 15.0%–20.0%: 4 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 20.0%–25.0%: 1 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 25.0%–30.0%: 5 US counties (1%). Below this entry. 30.0%–35.0%: 9 US counties (1%). Below this entry. 35.0%–40.0%: 4 US counties (0%). Below this entry. 40.0%–45.0%: 16 US counties (2%). Below this entry. 45.0%–50.0%: 16 US counties (2%). Below this entry. 50.0%–55.0%: 32 US counties (3%). Below this entry. 55.0%–60.0%: 50 US counties (5%). Below this entry. 60.0%–65.0%: 77 US counties (8%). This entry sits in this band. 65.0%–70.0%: 93 US counties (10%). Above this entry. 70.0%–75.0%: 109 US counties (11%). Above this entry. 75.0%–80.0%: 114 US counties (12%). Above this entry. 80.0%–85.0%: 123 US counties (13%). Above this entry. 85.0%–90.0%: 99 US counties (10%). Above this entry. 90.0%–95.0%: 117 US counties (12%). Above this entry. 95.0%–100.0%: 70 US counties (7%). Above this entry. 100.0%–105.0%: 7 US counties (1%). Above this entry. This county 0.0% 100% every floor-qualified US county, bucketed by value

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) · 2025

Pollutant Breakdown

Days where each pollutant was the primary driver of AQI readings in Union County.

Union County, New Jersey criteria pollutant distribution Stratified-band visualization showing the share of monitored days each criteria pollutant (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO) was the primary AQI driver. PM2.5 · 78.0% NO₂ · 21.8% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Union County, New Jersey · 363 monitored days Criteria pollutant column
  • PM2.5 · 283 days · 78.0%
  • NO₂ · 79 days · 21.8%
  • CO · 1 days · 0.3%

2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Union County

Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (366 reported days in 2024). Jul posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 54, peak 70); Nov was cleanest at median 34. Summer months (Jun–Aug) averaged median AQI 50 vs 47 in Dec–Feb.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 46 51 40 42 37 49 54 46 36 37 34 45
Union County median daily AQI by calendar month (2024, EPA daily county file)

Five-year seasonal record

EPA day-level county files · 2020–2024

1,827 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Jul has the highest matched-month median AQI (57), while Apr is lowest (44). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2020 475241383439565447465252
2021 474952515256605450495556
2022 525350404852565242474841
2023 445444495459615249474852
2024 465140423749544636373445

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

Moderate

Union County's air quality is rated Moderate based on 61.2% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.

Air quality was acceptable on 61.2% of monitored days in 2025, with a median AQI of 44. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.

The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 283 of 363 monitored days.

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in Union County. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (62.6%, 229 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate USG Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 198 167 1 0 48
2021 157 207 1 0 52
2022 191 174 0 0 49
2023 163 197 1 3 52
2024 229 137 0 0 43
2025 222 140 1 0 44

How does Union County compare?

How Union County compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Union County 61.2%
Allegan County, Michigan 63.9%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Union County 44
Allegan County, Michigan 44
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Union County 0
Allegan County, Michigan 2
Typical US county 1

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 Union County, New Jersey · 2020–2025

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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.