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.

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

Fresno, CA lands in the lower Good-day tercile (28.8% 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 61 and 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.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 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.

Compared against 301 monitored days in 2024 and 334 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

Fresno, CA lands in the lower Good-day tercile (28.8% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 28.8% 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 61 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Moderate / Poor). The monitored-day split lands at 105 Good (29%), 226 Moderate (62%), and 31 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (8%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 100; the highest single-day reading hit 164 (Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted +6.3 points and median AQI moved -15 (improving). The annual record contains 3 days at Unhealthy or worse. 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).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

61

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

31

8%

Unhealthy

3

1%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

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

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
2020 75 192 31 76
2021 62 221 17 68
2022 78 217 3 71
2023 97 210 3 64
2024 71 216 14 67
2025 105 226 3 61

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

61

Las Cruces, NM

Median AQI 61 · 27.4% Good-day share

61

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

Median AQI 61 · 31.0% Good-day share

61

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Median AQI 59 · 28.2% Good-day share

59

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Median AQI 63 · 10.1% Good-day share

63

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Median AQI 58 · 28.8% Good-day share

58

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

54

Kansas City, MO-KS

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 51

51

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

Rochester, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 39

39

St. Cloud, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 37

37

Ardmore, OK

2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

Frequently Asked Questions

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.
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.
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.
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).
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).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Fresno, CA, 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, Fresno, CA · 2020–2025