Median AQI
45
Good
New Mexico · County air quality · 2025
Catron County, New Mexico
Median AQI 45 (Good). 71.7% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 45
- Median AQI
- 71.7%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 36%
- Cleaner than US counties
Catron County's 2025 annual median AQI is 45 (Good), with 71.7% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Catron County, New Mexico posted a 2025 median AQI of 45 (Good) across 226 monitored days, with 71.7% 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
- Catron County's 71.7% Good-day share places it cleaner than 36% of US counties in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Baltimore County (64.7% Good, median AQI 45) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Catron County.
- 2020–2025 trend
- Catron County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is worsening from 2020 to 2025 (94.8% → 71.7%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 45
The verdict
According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, Catron County's air is good on balance, more polluted than the median US county, a median AQI of 45 with 71.7% of 226 monitored days in the Good band, driven mainly by Ozone.
- 45
- median AQI · Good
- 71.7%
- days rated Good
- Ozone
- main pollutant
- 36%
- cleaner than US counties
Not one day crossed into the Unhealthy tier; the worst single reading was AQI 100.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Catron County's Good-day share fell from 89.3% to 71.7% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -17.6 percentage points.
- Catron County's median AQI rose from 39 to 45 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +6 points.
- Catron County's peak single-day AQI rose from 80 to 100 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +20 points.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 162 d · 71.7%
- Moderate · 64 d · 28.3%
How did Catron County's air break down in 2025?
Across 226 monitored days, 162 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 100 (Moderate).
EPA AQS →Air quality data from EPA Air Quality System (2025). 226 days monitored. Median AQI: 45 (Good).
Insights: Catron County, New Mexico. EPA monitors recorded a median Air Quality Index of 45 across 226 measured days in 2025, earning a Good classification and a Moderate health grade. Of those days, 162 (72%) fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50), 64 (28%) registered Moderate readings, and 0 (0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The 90th-percentile AQI settled at 74, while the worst single-day peak hit 100 (Moderate). Residents averaged about 21.5 clean-air days per 30-day window during the monitoring year.
The full pollutant mix ranks as Ozone (196 days), PM2.5 (30 days). Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -23.1 points (measured against 115 monitored days in 2020 and 226 in 2025, so raw day counts are not comparable) and the median AQI moved +32 points, placing the multi-year trajectory at worsening. The worst single reading over the 2020–2025 window was AQI 100, moderate but never Unhealthy. Nearby counties show comparable readings: Bernalillo (26.6% good, AQI 58); Chaves (91.9% good, AQI 29); Dona Ana (27.4% good, AQI 61); Eddy (53.7% good, AQI 49); Lea (68.8% good, AQI 44); Lincoln (68.3% good, AQI 44).
Air Quality Summary
Good Days
71.7%
162 of 226 monitored days
-3.3pp vs 75% target
Max AQI Recorded
100
Moderate
Health Grade
Moderate
90th-pct AQI 74
Catron County, Good days share 71.7%
National avg
Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).
Catron 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 226 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
162
72%
Moderate
64
28%
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 Catron County.
- Ozone · 196 days · 86.7%
- PM2.5 · 30 days · 13.3%
Health Impact Assessment
Moderate
Catron County's air quality is rated Moderate based on 71.7% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.
Air quality was acceptable on 71.7% of monitored days in 2025, with a median AQI of 45. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.
The dominant pollutant is Ozone, driving AQI on 196 of 226 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is worsening in Catron County. Highest Good-day share: 2022 (98.2%, 112 of 114 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 109 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 81 |
| 2021 | 103 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 89 |
| 2022 | 112 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 66 |
| 2023 | 108 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 175 |
| 2024 | 175 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 80 |
| 2025 | 162 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 100 |
How does Catron County compare?
How Catron County compares
Good-day share worse than typical
Catron County 71.7%
Baltimore County, Maryland 64.7%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Catron County 45
Baltimore County, Maryland 45
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Catron County 0
Baltimore County, Maryland 0
Typical US county 1
Counties with a similar median AQI
Nationwide peers within about the same annual median AQI as Catron County (45), not geographic neighbors.
Baltimore County, Maryland
Median AQI 45 · 64.7% Good-day share
Bell County, Texas
Median AQI 45 · 66.0% Good-day share
Box Elder County, Utah
Median AQI 45 · 64.7% Good-day share
Bronx County, New York
Median AQI 45 · 59.2% Good-day share
Catano County, Puerto Rico
Median AQI 45 · 60.6% Good-day share
Clark County, Ohio
Median AQI 45 · 61.4% Good-day share
Same primary pollutant: Ozone
Ozone 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).
Blount County, Tennessee
71.5% Good-day share · median AQI 44
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
71.5% Good-day share · median AQI 44
Chester County, Pennsylvania
71.3% Good-day share · median AQI 43
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
72.0% Good-day share · median AQI 41
Greene County, Indiana
72.0% Good-day share · median AQI 42
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
72.0% Good-day share · median AQI 38
New Mexico counties on the map
Geographic containment only, other monitored counties in New Mexico, independent of AQI or pollutant match.
What Catron County's air means for you
The air here stays in the breathable range year-round, with Ozone the main thing to watch.
- Sensitive groups (asthma, heart conditions, children, older adults) should check the AQI on high-Ozone days, the guide explains what a median of 45 means for exposure. Health guidance
- See how Catron County ranks against every monitored U.S. county on Good-day share. County rankings
- Compare Catron County with its New Mexico neighbours before drawing a conclusion about the region. All of New Mexico
Based on 226 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 Catron County, New Mexico? ▼
Catron County has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 45, rated "Good." 71.7% of monitored days (162 out of 226) had good air quality in 2025.
What is the main pollutant in Catron County? ▼
The primary pollutant in Catron County is Ozone (O3), which was the main AQI driver on 196 days (87% of monitored days). Can trigger asthma, reduce lung function, and cause chest pain.
How many unhealthy air days does Catron County have? ▼
In 2025, Catron County recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 100.
Is the air quality in Catron County getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in Catron 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: 2022 at 98.2% (112 of 114 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2025 at 71.7% (162 of 226 days).
What does AQI 45 mean for health? ▼
Catron County's median AQI of 45 falls in the "Good" category. See the AQI category guide for what each range means for health.
How does Catron County compare to other counties in New Mexico? ▼
Catron County has 71.7% good air days. Nearby counties in New Mexico: Bernalillo (26.6% good), Chaves (91.9% good), Dona Ana (27.4% good), Eddy (53.7% good), Lea (68.8% good), Lincoln (68.3% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI in Catron County? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for Catron County is 74, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 100 (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 Catron County, New Mexico · 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.