New York · County air quality · 2025

Albany County, New York

Median AQI 39 (Good). 68.5% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.

39
Median AQI
68.5%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
29%
Cleaner than US counties

Albany County's 2025 annual median AQI is 39 (Good), with 68.5% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Albany County, New York posted a 2025 median AQI of 39 (Good) across 365 monitored days, with 68.5% 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
Albany County's 68.5% Good-day share places it cleaner than 29% of US counties in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Aiken County (90.6% Good, median AQI 39) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Albany County.
2020–2025 trend
Albany County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is improving from 2020 to 2025 (64.4% → 68.5%).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 39

According to the 2025 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Albany County, New York ranks #392 of 951 by median AQI (39) and #673 by good-day share (68.5%). 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
  • Albany County's Good-day share fell from 76.5% to 68.5% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -8.0 percentage points.
  • Albany County's peak single-day AQI rose from 105 to 136 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +31 points.
  • Albany County's median AQI rose from 36 to 39 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +3 points.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 365 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

Albany 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 365 monitored days G M Median AQI 39 0 50 100 150 200 300 500 Albany County
  • Good · 250 d · 68.5%
  • Moderate · 110 d · 30.1%
  • USG · 5 d · 1.4%

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

Across 365 monitored days, 250 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 136 (USG).

EPA AQS →
Albany County, Good days share 68.5%
National avg

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

Albany 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 Albany County sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2025. Albany County's Good-day share is 68.5% - cleaner than 29% of that comparison set.

Albany County Good-day share vs. every US county

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

68.5% 29th percentile higher than 29% 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%). Below this entry. 65.0%–70.0%: 93 US counties (10%). This entry sits in this band. 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 Albany County.

Albany County, New York 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 · 63.0% Ozone · 37.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Albany County, New York · 365 monitored days Criteria pollutant column
  • PM2.5 · 230 days · 63.0%
  • Ozone · 135 days · 37.0%

2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Albany County

Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (366 reported days in 2024). Aug posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 52, peak 87); Nov was cleanest at median 30. Summer months (Jun–Aug) averaged median AQI 50 vs 33 in Dec–Feb.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 32 35 34 39 39 48 51 52 34 31 30 33
Albany County median daily AQI by calendar month (2024, EPA daily county file)

Five-year seasonal record

EPA day-level county files · 2020–2024

1,826 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Jul has the highest matched-month median AQI (50), while Sep is lowest (36). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2020 414539404047485040495741
2021 434740403843494433363847
2022 543741414040464332353738
2023 404442444149544241293039
2024 323534393948515234313033

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

Albany County's air quality is rated Moderate based on 68.5% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.

Air quality was acceptable on 68.5% of monitored days in 2025, with a median AQI of 39. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.

The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 230 of 365 monitored days.

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in Albany County. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (76.5%, 280 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate USG Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 235 127 3 0 42
2021 254 109 2 0 39
2022 276 89 0 0 40
2023 245 113 4 3 42
2024 280 85 1 0 36
2025 250 110 5 0 39

How does Albany County compare?

How Albany County compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Albany County 68.5%
Aiken County, South Carolina 90.6%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI about typical
Albany County 39
Aiken County, South Carolina 39
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Albany County 0
Aiken County, South Carolina 0
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 Albany County, New York · 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.