Metro area air quality · 2025
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Median AQI 56 (Moderate). 26.0% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 56
- Median AQI
- 26.0%
- Good-air days
- 2
- Unhealthy days
- 2%
- Cleaner than US metros
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN posted a 2025 median AQI of 56 (Moderate) with 26.0% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN CBSA recorded a median AQI of 56 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 26.0% rated Good and 2 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN CBSA's 26.0% Good-day share places it cleaner than 2% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (29.9% Good, median AQI 56) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN's Good-day share moved -0.3 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +1).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 56
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN lands in the lower Good-day tercile (26.0% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. On the EPA scale the metro runs moderate, among the more polluted US metros, with a median AQI of 56 and 26.0% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.
- 56
- median AQI · Moderate
- 26.0%
- days rated Good
- 2%
- cleaner than US metros
- 154
- worst single reading
2 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro's Good-day share fell from 37.2% to 27.0% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -10.2 percentage points.
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 2 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2 days.
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN lands in the lower Good-day tercile (26.0% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 26.0% 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 56 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Moderate / Poor). The monitored-day split lands at 95 Good (26%), 255 Moderate (70%), and 13 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (4%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 78; the highest single-day reading hit 154 (Unhealthy).
Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -0.3 points and median AQI moved +1 (stable). The annual record contains 2 days at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (29.9% good, AQI 56); St. Louis, MO-IL (31.2% good, AQI 56); Bishop, CA (37.3% good, AQI 55).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
56
Moderate
Good Days
26.0%
95 of 365 days
Max AQI
154
Unhealthy
Health Grade
Poor
90th pct: 78
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
95
26%
Moderate
255
70%
USG
13
4%
Unhealthy
2
1%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's air quality is rated Poor based on 26.0% good air days. There were 2 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality is acceptable most days, but 13 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 154. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
How does the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro compare?
How Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is stable in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (37.2%, 131 of 352 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 98 | 261 | 0 | 55 | 126 |
| 2021 | 92 | 265 | 0 | 57 | 140 |
| 2022 | 104 | 255 | 1 | 56 | 151 |
| 2023 | 92 | 249 | 5 | 57 | 197 |
| 2024 | 131 | 221 | 0 | 54 | 147 |
| 2025 | 95 | 255 | 2 | 56 | 154 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (56).
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Median AQI 56 · 29.9% Good-day share
St. Louis, MO-IL
Median AQI 56 · 31.2% Good-day share
Bishop, CA
Median AQI 55 · 37.3% Good-day share
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Median AQI 57 · 29.9% Good-day share
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
Median AQI 57 · 34.5% Good-day share
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
Median AQI 55 · 31.2% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN's 2 (independent of median AQI).
Ardmore, OK
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44
Chattanooga, TN-GA
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 49
Columbus, GA-AL
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 48
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 46
Fort Dodge, IA
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45
Frequently Asked Questions
How many unhealthy air days does Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN have? ▼
What is the air quality in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area? ▼
Is air quality in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 56 mean for health? ▼
How does Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN compare to other metro areas? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN? ▼
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 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, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN · 2020–2025