Metro area air quality · 2025

Española, NM

Median AQI 45 (Good). 79.9% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

45
Median AQI
79.9%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
63%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 264 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Española, NM metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 45 with 79.9% of 264 monitored days in the Good band.

45
median AQI · Good
79.9%
days rated Good
63%
cleaner than US metros
87
worst single reading

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

Insights: Española, NM metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 45 over 264 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 211 Good days (80%), 53 Moderate (20%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 61 while the highest single-day reading hit 87 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 24.0 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -102 and the median AQI moved +1 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 Akron, OH (62.2% good, AQI 45); Carson City, NV (79.3% good, AQI 45); Clinton, IA (59.9% good, AQI 45).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

45

Good

Good Days

79.9%

211 of 264 days

Max AQI

87

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 61

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 264 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

211

80%

Moderate

53

20%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Española, NM metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 79.9% 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 Española, NM metro compare?

How Española, NM compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Española, NM 79.9%
Akron, OH 62.2%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI worse than US avg
Española, NM 45
Akron, OH 45
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Española, NM 0
Akron, OH 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Española, NM metro. Best year: 2023 (318 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 313 49 0 44
2021 276 86 0 44
2022 304 26 0 40
2023 318 28 0 43
2024 252 104 0 45
2025 211 53 0 45

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Española, NM.

Akron, OH

AQI 45 · 62.2% good

45

Carson City, NV

AQI 45 · 79.3% good

45

Clinton, IA

AQI 45 · 59.9% good

45

Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL

AQI 45 · 58.4% good

45

Gadsden, AL

AQI 45 · 63.5% good

45

Helena, MT

AQI 45 · 65.4% good

45

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 Española, NM metro area? ▼
The Española, NM metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 45, rated "Good." 79.9% of monitored days (211 out of 264) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Española, NM have? ▼
In 2025, the Española, NM metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 87.
Is air quality in Española, NM getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Española, NM metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2023 with 318 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 211 good days.
What does AQI 45 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 45 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 Española, NM? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Española, NM metro area is 61, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 87 (Moderate).
How does Española, NM compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Española, NM metro has 79.9% good air days. Similar metros: Akron, OH (62.2% good), Carson City, NV (79.3% good), Clinton, IA (59.9% 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.