Ohio · County air quality · 2025

Franklin County, Ohio

Median AQI 53 (Moderate). 40.3% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.

53
Median AQI
40.3%
Good-air days
1
Unhealthy days
3%
Cleaner than US counties

Franklin County's 2025 annual median AQI is 53 (Moderate), with 40.3% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Franklin County, Ohio posted a 2025 median AQI of 53 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days, with 40.3% rated Good and 1 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual comparison, not today's advisory.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US
Franklin County's 40.3% Good-day share places it cleaner than 3% of US counties in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Cook County (40.8% Good, median AQI 53) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Franklin County.
2020–2025 trend
Franklin County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is worsening from 2020 to 2025 (63.4% → 40.3%).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 53

According to the 2025 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Franklin County, Ohio ranks #916 of 951 by median AQI (53) and #922 by good-day share (40.3%). 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
  • Franklin County's peak single-day AQI rose from 118 to 156 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +38 points.
  • Franklin County's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 1 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1 days.

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

Franklin 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 53 0 50 100 150 200 300 500 Franklin County
  • Good · 147 d · 40.3%
  • Moderate · 213 d · 58.4%
  • USG · 4 d · 1.1%
  • Unhealthy · 1 d · 0.3%

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

Across 365 monitored days, 147 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 1 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 156 (Unhealthy).

EPA AQS →
Franklin County, Good days share 40.3%
National avg

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

Franklin County, Unhealthy-or-worse share 2.7%
National avg

Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).

Where Franklin County sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2025. Franklin County's Good-day share is 40.3% - cleaner than 3% of that comparison set.

Franklin County Good-day share vs. every US county

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

40.3% 3rd percentile higher than 3% 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%). This entry sits in this band. 45.0%–50.0%: 16 US counties (2%). Above this entry. 50.0%–55.0%: 32 US counties (3%). Above this entry. 55.0%–60.0%: 50 US counties (5%). Above this entry. 60.0%–65.0%: 77 US counties (8%). Above this entry. 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 Franklin County.

Franklin County, Ohio 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 · 72.1% Ozone · 25.2% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Franklin County, Ohio · 365 monitored days Criteria pollutant column
  • PM2.5 · 263 days · 72.1%
  • Ozone · 92 days · 25.2%
  • PM10 · 9 days · 2.5%
  • NO₂ · 1 days · 0.3%

2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Franklin County

Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (366 reported days in 2024). Oct posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 66, peak 118); Dec was cleanest at median 45. Summer months (Jun–Aug) averaged median AQI 56 vs 51 in Dec–Feb.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 52 57 46 49 53 54 58 57 49 66 52 45
Franklin 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: Jun has the highest matched-month median AQI (57), while Sep is lowest (45). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2020 384942434250524740404653
2021 525846485050575346474652
2022 565345434753504339415452
2023 535151525280565753536152
2024 525746495354585749665245

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

Poor

Franklin County's air quality is rated Poor based on 40.3% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 4 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" (AQI 101-150) and peak AQI reached 156. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 263 of 365 monitored days.

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in Franklin County. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (63.4%, 232 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate USG Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 232 132 2 0 45
2021 170 195 0 0 52
2022 206 157 2 0 48
2023 136 218 7 3 54
2024 151 211 4 0 53
2025 147 213 4 1 53

How does Franklin County compare?

How Franklin County compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Franklin County 40.3%
Cook County, Illinois 40.8%
Typical US county 76.0%
Median AQI worse than typical
Franklin County 53
Cook County, Illinois 53
Typical US county 39
Unhealthy days / yr about typical
Franklin County 1
Cook County, Illinois 5
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 Franklin County, Ohio · 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.