Wisconsin · County air quality · 2025
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Median AQI 41 (Good). 66.3% of monitored days rated Good, direct from EPA Air Quality System stations.
- 41
- Median AQI
- 66.3%
- Good-air days
- 3
- Unhealthy days
- 25%
- Cleaner than US counties
Waukesha County's 2025 annual median AQI is 41 (Good), with 66.3% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, Waukesha County, Wisconsin posted a 2025 median AQI of 41 (Good) across 365 monitored days, with 66.3% rated Good and 3 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual comparison, not today's advisory.
Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)
- Cleaner than US
- Waukesha County's 66.3% Good-day share places it cleaner than 25% of US counties in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Armstrong County (70.5% Good, median AQI 41) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Waukesha County.
- 2020–2025 trend
- Waukesha County's floor-qualifying Good-day share is improving from 2020 to 2025 (59.6% → 66.3%).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 41
According to the 2025 EPA AQS county release on PlainAirData, Waukesha County, Wisconsin ranks #519 of 951 by median AQI (41) and #710 by good-day share (66.3%). 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
- Waukesha County's peak single-day AQI rose from 101 to 172 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +71 points.
- Waukesha County's Good-day share fell from 71.0% to 66.3% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -4.7 percentage points.
- Waukesha County's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 3 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +3 days.
Data updated August 2026
- Good · 242 d · 66.3%
- Moderate · 113 d · 31.0%
- USG · 7 d · 1.9%
- Unhealthy · 3 d · 0.8%
How did Waukesha County's air break down in 2025?
Across 365 monitored days, 242 fell in the Good band (AQI 0–50) and 3 reached Unhealthy or worse. The worst single day peaked at AQI 172 (Unhealthy).
EPA AQS →Share of monitored days at AQI 0-50 (Good band).
Share of monitored days above AQI 150 (Unhealthy or worse). Bar maxes at 10% (worst-county ceiling).
Where Waukesha County sits nationally
COUNT-derived placement among 951 US counties with at least 100 monitored days in 2025. Waukesha County's Good-day share is 66.3% - cleaner than 25% of that comparison set.
Waukesha County Good-day share vs. every US county
Share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release
66.3% 25th percentile higher than 25% of 951 US counties
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 Waukesha County.
- PM2.5 · 248 days · 67.9%
- Ozone · 116 days · 31.8%
- PM10 · 1 days · 0.3%
2024 daily-monitor rhythm in Waukesha County
Month-by-month median AQI from EPA day-level county monitors (366 reported days in 2024). Sep posted the highest typical readings (median AQI 47, peak 101); Mar was cleanest at median 31. Summer months (Jun–Aug) averaged median AQI 45 vs 41 in Dec–Feb.
Five-year seasonal record
EPA day-level county files · 2020–20241,813 daily readings show a recurring local pattern: Jun has the highest matched-month median AQI (58), while Oct is lowest (43). Each cell is that month’s median daily AQI, not a current-air forecast.
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
Waukesha County's air quality is rated Moderate based on 66.3% good air days. There were 3 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality is acceptable most days, but 7 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" (AQI 101-150) and peak AQI reached 172. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
The dominant pollutant is PM2.5, driving AQI on 248 of 365 monitored days.
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is improving in Waukesha County. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (71.0%, 260 of 366 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | USG | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 214 | 143 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 129 |
| 2021 | 177 | 184 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 108 |
| 2022 | 215 | 144 | 4 | 0 | 47 | 126 |
| 2023 | 171 | 167 | 19 | 1 | 52 | 270 |
| 2024 | 260 | 105 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 101 |
| 2025 | 242 | 113 | 7 | 3 | 41 | 172 |
How does Waukesha County compare?
How Waukesha County compares
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 Waukesha County, Wisconsin · 2020–2025
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.