Metro area air quality · 2025

Asheville, NC

Median AQI 46 (Good). 68.1% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

46
Median AQI
68.1%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
40%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 273 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Asheville, NC metro runs good on the EPA scale, more polluted than the median US metro, a median AQI of 46 with 68.1% of 273 monitored days in the Good band.

46
median AQI · Good
68.1%
days rated Good
40%
cleaner than US metros
97
worst single reading

No day crossed into the Unhealthy tier across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Insights: Asheville, NC metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 46 over 273 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 186 Good days (68%), 87 Moderate (32%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 61 while the highest single-day reading hit 97 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 20.4 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -121 and the median AQI moved +5 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as worsening. The metro avoided any Unhealthy-tier days entirely, an outcome that typically reflects favorable wind patterns, lower industrial density, or effective regional emission controls. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Albany, GA (55.6% good, AQI 46); Cedar City, UT (70.0% good, AQI 46); Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (58.5% good, AQI 46).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

46

Good

Good Days

68.1%

186 of 273 days

Max AQI

97

Moderate

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 61

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 273 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

186

68%

Moderate

87

32%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Asheville, NC metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 68.1% good air days. No unhealthy air days were recorded in 2025.

Air quality is generally acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov during high-pollution events.

How does the Asheville, NC metro compare?

How Asheville, NC compares

Good-day share worse than US avg
Asheville, NC 68.1%
Albany, GA 55.6%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI worse than US avg
Asheville, NC 46
Albany, GA 46
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Asheville, NC 0
Albany, GA 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Asheville, NC metro. Best year: 2020 (307 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 307 57 0 41
2021 260 105 0 44
2022 267 97 0 44
2023 228 132 0 46
2024 219 146 0 48
2025 186 87 0 46

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Asheville, NC.

Albany, GA

AQI 46 · 55.6% good

46

Cedar City, UT

AQI 46 · 70.0% good

46

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

AQI 46 · 58.5% good

46

Evansville, IN-KY

AQI 46 · 61.6% good

46

Gainesville, GA

AQI 46 · 55.0% good

46

Hattiesburg, MS

AQI 46 · 62.4% good

46

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 Asheville, NC metro area? ▼
The Asheville, NC metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 46, rated "Good." 68.1% of monitored days (186 out of 273) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Asheville, NC have? ▼
In 2025, the Asheville, NC metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 97.
Is air quality in Asheville, NC getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Asheville, NC metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2020 with 307 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 186 good days.
What does AQI 46 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 46 is "Good", air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk. This is the best category on the EPA's AQI scale.
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Asheville, NC? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Asheville, NC metro area is 61, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 97 (Moderate).
How does Asheville, NC compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Asheville, NC metro has 68.1% good air days. Similar metros: Albany, GA (55.6% good), Cedar City, UT (70.0% good), Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (58.5% 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

Every figure on PlainAir 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.