Metro area air quality · 2025

Fresno, CA

Median AQI 61 (Moderate). 28.8% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

Compiled by PlainAirData · August 23, 2026

61
Median AQI: 28.8%
Good-air days: 3
Unhealthy days: 3%
Cleaner than US metros

Fresno, CA posted a 2025 median AQI of 61 (Moderate) with 28.8% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Fresno, CA CBSA recorded a median AQI of 61 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 28.8% rated Good and 3 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 Fresno, CA CBSA's 28.8% Good-day share places it cleaner than 3% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer: Albuquerque, NM (24.9% Good, median AQI 61) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Fresno, CA.
2020–2025 Good-day shift: Fresno, CA's Good-day share moved +6.3 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI -15).
Median AQI: Median AQI: 61

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

The verdict

The Fresno, CA metro runs moderate on the EPA scale, among the more polluted US metros, a median AQI of 61 with 28.8% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

61
median AQI · Moderate: 28.8%
days rated Good: 3%
cleaner than US metros: 164
worst single reading

3 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Fresno, CA metro's Unhealthy-category days fell from 14 to 3 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -11 days.
Fresno, CA metro's Good-day share rose from 23.6% to 31.4% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +7.8 percentage points.
Fresno, CA metro's median AQI fell from 67 to 61 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -6 points.

Insights: Fresno, CA metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 61 over 365 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Moderate band and a Poor metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 105 Good days (29%), 226 Moderate (62%), and 31 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (8%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 100 while the highest single-day reading hit 164 (Unhealthy). Metro residents averaged roughly 8.6 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 +6.3 points (measured against 298 monitored days in 2020 and 334 in 2025, so raw day counts are not comparable) and the median AQI moved -15 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as improving. The annual record contains 3 days at Unhealthy or worse. On those days, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Albuquerque, NM (24.9% good, AQI 61); Las Cruces, NM (27.4% good, AQI 61); Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (31.0% good, AQI 61).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

Moderate

Good Days

28.8%

105 of 365 days

Max AQI

164

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Poor

90th pct: 100

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

105

29%

Moderate

226

62%

USG

Unhealthy

Very Unhealthy

Hazardous

Health Impact Assessment

Poor

The Fresno, CA metro area's air quality is rated Poor based on 28.8% good air days. There were 3 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 31 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 164. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the Fresno, CA metro compare?

How Fresno, CA compares

Compare against

Good-day share worse than typical

Fresno, CA 28.8%

Albuquerque, NM 24.9%

Typical US metro 70.6%

Median AQI worse than typical

Fresno, CA 61

Albuquerque, NM 61

Typical US metro 41

Unhealthy days / yr worse than typical

Fresno, CA 3

Albuquerque, NM 3

Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Fresno, CA metro. Highest Good-day share: 2025 (31.4%, 105 of 334 monitored days).

Year	Good	Moderate	Unhealthy	Median AQI	Max AQI
2020	75	192	31	76	346
2021	62	221	17	68	278
2022	78	217	3	71	159
2023	97	210	3	64	156
2024	71	216	14	67	169
2025	105	226	3	61	164

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Fresno, CA (61).

Albuquerque, NM

Median AQI 61 · 24.9% Good-day share

Las Cruces, NM

Median AQI 61 · 27.4% Good-day share

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

Median AQI 61 · 31.0% Good-day share

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Median AQI 59 · 28.2% Good-day share

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Median AQI 63 · 10.1% Good-day share

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Median AQI 58 · 28.8% Good-day share

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Fresno, CA's 3 (independent of median AQI).

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 54

Kansas City, MO-KS

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 51

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

Rochester, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 39

St. Cloud, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 37

Ardmore, OK

2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 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 Fresno, CA metro area? ▼

The Fresno, CA metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 61, rated "Moderate." 28.8% of monitored days (105 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.

How many unhealthy air days does Fresno, CA have? ▼

In 2025, the Fresno, CA metro area recorded 3 unhealthy air days (3 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 164.

Is air quality in Fresno, CA getting better or worse? ▼

Air quality in the Fresno, CA 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 31.4% (105 of 334 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2021 at 20.7% (62 of 300 days).

What does AQI 61 mean for health? ▼

An AQI of 61 is "Moderate", air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive individuals.

What is the 90th percentile AQI for Fresno, CA? ▼

The 90th percentile AQI for the Fresno, CA metro area is 100, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 164 (Unhealthy).

How does Fresno, CA compare to other metro areas? ▼

The Fresno, CA metro has 28.8% good air days. Similar metros: Albuquerque, NM (24.9% good), Las Cruces, NM (27.4% good), Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (31.0% 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 Accessed 2026-07-06

Send the source-year summary or download its ready-to-use data card.

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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.