Metro area air quality · 2025

Albuquerque, NM

Median AQI 61 (Moderate). 24.9% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

61
Median AQI
24.9%
Good-air days
3
Unhealthy days
2%
Cleaner than US metros

Albuquerque, NM posted a 2025 median AQI of 61 (Moderate) with 24.9% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Albuquerque, NM CBSA recorded a median AQI of 61 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 24.9% rated Good and 3 unhealthy or worse. This is an annual metro comparison, not a live advisory.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US metros
The Albuquerque, NM CBSA's 24.9% Good-day share places it cleaner than 2% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Fresno, CA (28.8% Good, median AQI 61) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Albuquerque, NM.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Albuquerque, NM's Good-day share moved -2.0 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +4).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 61

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Albuquerque, NM metro runs moderate on the EPA scale, among the more polluted US metros, a median AQI of 61 with 24.9% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

61
median AQI · Moderate
24.9%
days rated Good
2%
cleaner than US metros
204
worst single reading

3 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Albuquerque, NM metro's peak single-day AQI fell from 443 to 204 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -239 points.
  • Albuquerque, NM metro's Good-day share fell from 29.7% to 26.3% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -3.4 percentage points.
  • Albuquerque, NM metro's Unhealthy-category days fell from 4 to 2 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -2 days.

Compared against 337 monitored days in 2024 and 346 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

Insights: Albuquerque, NM metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 61 over 365 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Moderate band and a Very Poor metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 91 Good days (25%), 253 Moderate (69%), and 18 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (5%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 90 while the highest single-day reading hit 204 (Very Unhealthy). Metro residents averaged roughly 7.5 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -2.0 points and the median AQI moved +4 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as stable. The annual record contains 3 days at Unhealthy or worse. On those days, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Fresno, CA (28.8% good, AQI 61); Las Cruces, NM (27.4% good, AQI 61); Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (31.0% good, AQI 61).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

61

Moderate

Good Days

24.9%

91 of 365 days

Max AQI

204

Very Unhealthy

Health Grade

Very Poor

90th pct: 90

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

91

25%

Moderate

253

69%

USG

18

5%

Unhealthy

2

1%

Very Unhealthy

1

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Very Poor

The Albuquerque, NM metro area's air quality is rated Very Poor based on 24.9% good air days. There were 3 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality reached unhealthy levels on 3 days in 2025 (2 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy). Sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular conditions, children, and adults over 65, should review the daily breakdown and follow local advisories.

Sensitive group advisory

People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, children, pregnant women, and adults 65+ should follow EPA AQI alerts daily and limit outdoor exertion when AQI exceeds 100. Real-time conditions: airnow.gov.

How does the Albuquerque, NM metro compare?

How Albuquerque, NM compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Albuquerque, NM 24.9%
Fresno, CA 28.8%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI worse than typical
Albuquerque, NM 61
Fresno, CA 61
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr worse than typical
Albuquerque, NM 3
Fresno, CA 3
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is stable in the Albuquerque, NM metro. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (29.7%, 100 of 337 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 101 255 1 57
2021 60 284 2 64
2022 80 252 2 64
2023 97 264 0 60
2024 100 233 4 61
2025 91 253 2 61

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Albuquerque, NM (61).

Fresno, CA

Median AQI 61 · 28.8% Good-day share

61

Las Cruces, NM

Median AQI 61 · 27.4% Good-day share

61

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

Median AQI 61 · 31.0% Good-day share

61

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Median AQI 59 · 28.2% Good-day share

59

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Median AQI 63 · 10.1% Good-day share

63

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Median AQI 58 · 28.8% Good-day share

58

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Albuquerque, NM's 3 (independent of median AQI).

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 54

54

Kansas City, MO-KS

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 51

51

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

Rochester, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 39

39

St. Cloud, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 37

37

Ardmore, OK

2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

More Air Quality Data

Explore EPA air quality rankings and guides across U.S. metros and counties.

Cleanest Metro Areas

U.S. metros ranked by their share of Good air-quality days.

Worst Air Quality

Counties and metros with the most unhealthy air days.

All Metro Areas

Annual AQI by CBSA for every monitored U.S. metro area.

Best and Worst City Air

What drives urban air quality and how metro areas compare.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Albuquerque, NM metro area? ▼
The Albuquerque, NM metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 61, rated "Moderate." 24.9% of monitored days (91 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Albuquerque, NM have? ▼
In 2025, the Albuquerque, NM metro area recorded 3 unhealthy air days (2 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 204.
Is air quality in Albuquerque, NM getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Albuquerque, NM metro 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: 2024 at 29.7% (100 of 337 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2021 at 17.3% (60 of 346 days).
What does AQI 61 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 61 is "Moderate", air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive individuals.
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Albuquerque, NM? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Albuquerque, NM metro area is 90, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 204 (Very Unhealthy).
How does Albuquerque, NM compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Albuquerque, NM metro has 24.9% good air days. Similar metros: Fresno, CA (28.8% good), Las Cruces, NM (27.4% good), Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (31.0% good).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset, 2020–2025. See our methodology for how AQI, median, and coverage figures are computed.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by CBSA summary files (metro-level) · 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.