Metro area air quality · 2025
Brookings, SD
Median AQI 46 (Good). 58.6% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 46
- Median AQI
- 58.6%
- Good-air days
- 1
- Unhealthy days
- 23%
- Cleaner than US metros
Brookings, SD posted a 2025 median AQI of 46 (Good) with 58.6% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Brookings, SD CBSA recorded a median AQI of 46 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 58.6% rated Good and 1 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 Brookings, SD CBSA's 58.6% Good-day share places it cleaner than 23% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Albany, GA (57.3% Good, median AQI 46) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Brookings, SD.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Brookings, SD's Good-day share moved -24.1 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +7).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 46
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
Brookings, SD lands in the lower Good-day tercile (58.6% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, among the more polluted US metros, with a median AQI of 46 and 58.6% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.
- 46
- median AQI · Good
- 58.6%
- days rated Good
- 23%
- cleaner than US metros
- 154
- worst single reading
1 day reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Brookings, SD metro's Good-day share fell from 80.2% to 59.3% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -20.9 percentage points.
- Brookings, SD metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 111 to 154 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +43 points.
- Brookings, SD metro's median AQI rose from 36 to 46 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +10 points.
- Brookings, SD metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 1 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1 days.
Brookings, SD lands in the lower Good-day tercile (58.6% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 58.6% Good-day share (low tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 46 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Moderate). The monitored-day split lands at 214 Good (59%), 146 Moderate (40%), and 4 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 66; the highest single-day reading hit 154 (Unhealthy).
Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -24.1 points and median AQI moved +7 (worsening). The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Albany, GA (57.3% good, AQI 46); Athens-Clarke County, GA (57.8% good, AQI 46); Chico, CA (65.2% good, AQI 46).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
46
Good
Good Days
58.6%
214 of 365 days
Max AQI
154
Unhealthy
Health Grade
Moderate
90th pct: 66
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
214
59%
Moderate
146
40%
USG
4
1%
Unhealthy
1
0%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Brookings, SD metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 58.6% 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" and peak AQI reached 154. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
How does the Brookings, SD metro compare?
How Brookings, SD compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is worsening in the Brookings, SD metro. Highest Good-day share: 2022 (87.9%, 320 of 364 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 305 | 61 | 0 | 39 | 87 |
| 2021 | 270 | 87 | 1 | 39 | 236 |
| 2022 | 320 | 44 | 0 | 36 | 87 |
| 2023 | 274 | 84 | 2 | 42 | 162 |
| 2024 | 292 | 72 | 0 | 36 | 111 |
| 2025 | 214 | 146 | 1 | 46 | 154 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Brookings, SD (46).
Albany, GA
Median AQI 46 · 57.3% Good-day share
Athens-Clarke County, GA
Median AQI 46 · 57.8% Good-day share
Chico, CA
Median AQI 46 · 65.2% Good-day share
Colorado Springs, CO
Median AQI 46 · 68.2% Good-day share
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
Median AQI 46 · 56.7% Good-day share
Eugene, OR
Median AQI 46 · 56.4% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Brookings, SD's 1 (independent of median AQI).
Ann Arbor, MI
1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 41
Bangor, ME
1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 33
Baraboo, WI
1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 35
Bartlesville, OK
1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 52
Beaver Dam, WI
1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 40
Frequently Asked Questions
How many unhealthy air days does Brookings, SD have? ▼
What is the air quality in the Brookings, SD metro area? ▼
Is air quality in Brookings, SD getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 46 mean for health? ▼
How does Brookings, SD compare to other metro areas? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Brookings, SD? ▼
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Brookings, SD, 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, Brookings, SD · 2020–2025