Median AQI
43
Good
North Carolina · County air quality · 2025
Haywood County, North Carolina
Median AQI 43 (Good). 89.0% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 43
- Median AQI
- 89.0%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 78%
- Cleaner than US counties
Haywood County's 2025 annual median AQI is 43 (Good), with 89.0% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Haywood County, North Carolina posted a 2025 median AQI of 43 (Good) across 263 monitored days, with 89.0% 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
- Haywood County's 89.0% Good-day share places it cleaner than 78% of US counties in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Ashtabula County (81.2% Good, median AQI 43) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Haywood County.
- 2020–2025 trend
- Haywood County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is stable from 2020 to 2025 (89.7% → 89.0%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 43
The verdict
According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, Haywood County's air is good on balance, cleaner than most US counties, a median AQI of 43 with 89.0% of 263 monitored days in the Good band, driven mainly by Ozone.
- 43
- median AQI · Good
- 89.0%
- days rated Good
- Ozone
- main pollutant
- 78%
- cleaner than US counties
Not one day crossed into the Unhealthy tier; the worst single reading was AQI 87.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Haywood County's Good-day share rose from 78.5% to 89.0% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +10.4 percentage points.
- Haywood County's peak single-day AQI fell from 101 to 87 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -14 points.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 234 d · 89.0%
- Moderate · 29 d · 11.0%
How did Haywood County's air break down in 2025?
Across 263 monitored days, 234 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 0 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 87 (Moderate).
EPA AQS →Air quality data from EPA Air Quality System (2025). 263 days monitored. Median AQI: 43 (Good).
Insights: Haywood County, North Carolina. EPA monitors recorded a median Air Quality Index of 43 across 263 measured days in 2025, earning a Good classification and a Good health grade. Of those days, 234 (89%) fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50), 29 (11%) registered Moderate readings, and 0 (0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The 90th-percentile AQI settled at 51, while the worst single-day peak hit 87 (Moderate). Residents averaged about 26.7 clean-air days per 30-day window during the monitoring year.
The full pollutant mix ranks as Ozone (241 days), PM2.5 (22 days). Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -0.7 points and the median AQI moved +2 points, placing the multi-year trajectory at stable. The worst single reading over the 2020–2025 window was AQI 87, moderate but never Unhealthy. Nearby counties show comparable readings: Alexander (93.5% good, AQI 38); Avery (92.3% good, AQI 38); Buncombe (73.4% good, AQI 40); Caldwell (97.1% good, AQI 36); Carteret (96.2% good, AQI 35); Caswell (95.1% good, AQI 37).
Air Quality Summary
Good Days
89.0%
234 of 263 monitored days
14.0pp vs 75% target
Max AQI Recorded
87
Moderate
Health Grade
Good
90th-pct AQI 51
Haywood County, Good days share 89.0%
National avg
Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).
Haywood 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 263 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
234
89%
Moderate
29
11%
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 Haywood County.
- Ozone · 241 days · 91.6%
- PM2.5 · 22 days · 8.4%
Health Impact Assessment
Good
Haywood County's air quality is rated Good based on 89.0% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.
Air quality was acceptable on 89.0% of monitored days in 2025, with a median AQI of 43. Unusually sensitive people can check real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.
The dominant pollutant is Ozone, driving AQI on 241 of 263 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is stable in Haywood County. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (89.7%, 244 of 272 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 244 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 93 |
| 2021 | 229 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 93 |
| 2022 | 234 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 108 |
| 2023 | 204 | 69 | 5 | 0 | 45 | 112 |
| 2024 | 238 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 101 |
| 2025 | 234 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 87 |
How does Haywood County compare?
How Haywood County compares
Good-day share better than typical
Haywood County 89.0%
Ashtabula County, Ohio 81.2%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Haywood County 43
Ashtabula County, Ohio 43
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Haywood County 0
Ashtabula County, Ohio 0
Typical US county 1
Counties with a similar median AQI
Nationwide peers within about the same annual median AQI as Haywood County (43), not geographic neighbors.
Ashtabula County, Ohio
Median AQI 43 · 81.2% Good-day share
Baltimore (City) County, Maryland
Median AQI 43 · 68.1% Good-day share
Bartholomew County, Indiana
Median AQI 43 · 72.6% Good-day share
Berks County, Pennsylvania
Median AQI 43 · 68.2% Good-day share
Bolivar County, Mississippi
Median AQI 43 · 71.9% Good-day share
Brewster County, Texas
Median AQI 43 · 74.7% 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).
Darlington County, South Carolina
89.0% Good-day share · median AQI 40
Chautauqua County, New York
89.0% Good-day share · median AQI 36
Williamson County, Tennessee
88.9% Good-day share · median AQI 40
Pike County, Georgia
88.9% Good-day share · median AQI 38
Belknap County, New Hampshire
88.8% Good-day share · median AQI 32
Mason County, Michigan
89.2% Good-day share · median AQI 36
North Carolina counties on the map
Geographic containment only, other monitored counties in North Carolina, independent of AQI or pollutant match.
What Haywood 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 43 means for exposure. Health guidance
- See how Haywood County ranks against every monitored U.S. county on Good-day share. County rankings
- Compare Haywood County with its North Carolina neighbours before drawing a conclusion about the region. All of North Carolina
Based on 263 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 Haywood County, North Carolina? ▼
Haywood County has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 43, rated "Good." 89.0% of monitored days (234 out of 263) had good air quality in 2025.
What is the main pollutant in Haywood County? ▼
The primary pollutant in Haywood County is Ozone (O3), which was the main AQI driver on 241 days (92% of monitored days). Can trigger asthma, reduce lung function, and cause chest pain.
How many unhealthy air days does Haywood County have? ▼
In 2025, Haywood County recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 87.
Is the air quality in Haywood County getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in Haywood County is stable 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 89.7% (244 of 272 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 73.4% (204 of 278 days).
What does AQI 43 mean for health? ▼
Haywood County's median AQI of 43 falls in the "Good" category. See the AQI category guide for what each range means for health.
How does Haywood County compare to other counties in North Carolina? ▼
Haywood County has 89.0% good air days. Nearby counties in North Carolina: Alexander (93.5% good), Avery (92.3% good), Buncombe (73.4% good), Caldwell (97.1% good), Carteret (96.2% good), Caswell (95.1% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI in Haywood County? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for Haywood County is 51, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 87 (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 Haywood County, North Carolina · 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.