Metro area air quality · 2025

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

Median AQI 38 (Good). 87.7% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

38
Median AQI
87.7%
Good-air days
1
Unhealthy days
82%
Cleaner than US metros

Burlington-South Burlington, VT posted a 2025 median AQI of 38 (Good) with 87.7% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Burlington-South Burlington, VT CBSA recorded a median AQI of 38 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 87.7% 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 Burlington-South Burlington, VT CBSA's 87.7% Good-day share places it cleaner than 82% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Appleton, WI (72.3% Good, median AQI 38) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Burlington-South Burlington, VT.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Burlington-South Burlington, VT's Good-day share moved +5.9 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI -1).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 38

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

The verdict

The Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than most US metros, a median AQI of 38 with 87.7% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

38
median AQI · Good
87.7%
days rated Good
82%
cleaner than US metros
156
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

2024 → 2025
  • Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 84 to 156 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +72 points.
  • Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro'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 362 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: Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 38 over 365 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 320 Good days (88%), 41 Moderate (11%), and 3 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 55 while the highest single-day reading hit 156 (Unhealthy). Metro residents averaged roughly 26.3 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 +5.9 points and the median AQI moved -1 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as improving. The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. On that day, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Appleton, WI (72.3% good, AQI 38); Billings, MT (86.3% good, AQI 38); Charlottesville, VA (81.0% good, AQI 38).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

38

Good

Good Days

87.7%

320 of 365 days

Max AQI

156

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 55

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

320

88%

Moderate

41

11%

USG

3

1%

Unhealthy

1

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 87.7% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 3 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 156. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro compare?

How Burlington-South Burlington, VT compares

Good-day share better than typical
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 87.7%
Appleton, WI 72.3%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI better than typical
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 38
Appleton, WI 38
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr about typical
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 1
Appleton, WI 6
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro. Highest Good-day share: 2025 (88.4%, 320 of 362 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 302 64 0 39
2021 288 76 0 40
2022 298 67 0 41
2023 259 100 2 42
2024 323 43 0 37
2025 320 41 1 38

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Burlington-South Burlington, VT (38).

Appleton, WI

Median AQI 38 · 72.3% Good-day share

38

Billings, MT

Median AQI 38 · 86.3% Good-day share

38

Charlottesville, VA

Median AQI 38 · 81.0% Good-day share

38

Corning, NY

Median AQI 38 · 83.3% Good-day share

38

Dickinson, ND

Median AQI 38 · 82.7% Good-day share

38

Eau Claire, WI

Median AQI 38 · 73.7% Good-day share

38

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Burlington-South Burlington, VT's 1 (independent of median AQI).

Ann Arbor, MI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 41

41

Bangor, ME

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 33

33

Baraboo, WI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 35

35

Bartlesville, OK

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44

44

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 52

52

Beaver Dam, WI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 40

40

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 Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area? ▼
The Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 38, rated "Good." 87.7% of monitored days (320 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Burlington-South Burlington, VT have? ▼
In 2025, the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area recorded 1 unhealthy air days (1 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 156.
Is air quality in Burlington-South Burlington, VT getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro is improving across floor-qualifying years (2020-2025); years with fewer than 100 monitored days are excluded from that direction. Highest qualifying Good-day share: 2025 at 88.4% (320 of 362 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 71.7% (259 of 361 days).
What does AQI 38 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 38 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 Burlington-South Burlington, VT? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area is 55, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 156 (Unhealthy).
How does Burlington-South Burlington, VT compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro has 87.7% good air days. Similar metros: Appleton, WI (72.3% good), Billings, MT (86.3% good), Charlottesville, VA (81.0% 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.