Metro area air quality · 2025

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM

Median AQI 49 (Good). 53.7% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

Compiled by PlainAirData · August 23, 2026

49
Median AQI: 53.7%
Good-air days: 1
Unhealthy days: 16%
Cleaner than US metros

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM posted a 2025 median AQI of 49 (Good) with 53.7% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM CBSA recorded a median AQI of 49 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 53.7% 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 Carlsbad-Artesia, NM CBSA's 53.7% Good-day share places it cleaner than 16% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer: Canton-Massillon, OH (53.1% Good, median AQI 49) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Carlsbad-Artesia, NM.
2020–2025 Good-day shift: Carlsbad-Artesia, NM's Good-day share moved -11.6 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +3).
Median AQI: Median AQI: 49

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

The verdict

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM lands in the lower Good-day tercile (53.7% 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 49 and 53.7% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

49
median AQI · Good: 53.7%
days rated Good: 16%
cleaner than US metros: 168
worst single reading

1 day reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro's Unhealthy-category days fell from 3 to 1 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -2 days.
Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro's peak single-day AQI fell from 179 to 168 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -11 points.
Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro's Good-day share rose from 56.5% to 57.5% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1.0 percentage points.

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM lands in the lower Good-day tercile (53.7% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 53.7% 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 49 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Moderate). The monitored-day split lands at 196 Good (54%), 144 Moderate (39%), and 24 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (7%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 90; the highest single-day reading hit 168 (Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -11.6 points and median AQI moved +3 (worsening). The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Canton-Massillon, OH (53.1% good, AQI 49); Chattanooga, TN-GA (51.0% good, AQI 49); Kingsville, TX (51.7% good, AQI 49).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

Good

Good Days

53.7%

196 of 365 days

Max AQI

168

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 90

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

196

54%

Moderate

144

39%

USG

Unhealthy

Very Unhealthy

Hazardous

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 53.7% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 24 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 168. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro compare?

How Carlsbad-Artesia, NM compares

Compare against

Good-day share worse than typical

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM 53.7%

Canton-Massillon, OH 53.1%

Typical US metro 70.6%

Median AQI worse than typical

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM 49

Canton-Massillon, OH 49

Typical US metro 41

Unhealthy days / yr about typical

Carlsbad-Artesia, NM 1

Canton-Massillon, OH 0

Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (69.1%, 244 of 353 monitored days).

Year	Good	Moderate	Unhealthy	Median AQI	Max AQI
2020	244	109	0	46	115
2021	219	120	1	47	166
2022	207	130	1	48	151
2023	195	151	0	49	143
2024	188	142	3	49	179
2025	196	144	1	49	168

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Carlsbad-Artesia, NM (49).

Canton-Massillon, OH

Median AQI 49 · 53.1% Good-day share

Chattanooga, TN-GA

Median AQI 49 · 51.0% Good-day share

Kingsville, TX

Median AQI 49 · 51.7% Good-day share

Laramie, WY

Median AQI 49 · 55.6% Good-day share

Miami, OK

Median AQI 49 · 53.7% Good-day share

New Orleans-Metairie, LA

Median AQI 49 · 51.8% Good-day share

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Carlsbad-Artesia, NM'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 Carlsbad-Artesia, NM have? ▼

In 2025, the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro area recorded 1 unhealthy air days (1 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 168.

What is the air quality in the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro area? ▼

The Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 49, rated "Good." 53.7% of monitored days (196 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.

Is air quality in Carlsbad-Artesia, NM getting better or worse? ▼

Air quality in the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro is worsening across floor-qualifying years (2020-2025); years with fewer than 100 monitored days are excluded from that direction. Highest qualifying Good-day share: 2020 at 69.1% (244 of 353 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 56.4% (195 of 346 days).

What does AQI 49 mean for health? ▼

An AQI of 49 is "Good", air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk. This is the best category on the EPA's AQI scale.

How does Carlsbad-Artesia, NM compare to other metro areas? ▼

The Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro has 53.7% good air days. Similar metros: Canton-Massillon, OH (53.1% good), Chattanooga, TN-GA (51.0% good), Kingsville, TX (51.7% good).

What is the 90th percentile AQI for Carlsbad-Artesia, NM? ▼

The 90th percentile AQI for the Carlsbad-Artesia, NM metro area is 90, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 168 (Unhealthy).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Carlsbad-Artesia, NM, 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, Carlsbad-Artesia, NM · 2020–2025 Accessed 2026-07-06