Metro area air quality · 2025

Harrisonburg, VA

Median AQI 39 (Good). 80.0% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

39
Median AQI
80.0%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
68%
Cleaner than US metros

Harrisonburg, VA posted a 2025 median AQI of 39 (Good) with 80.0% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Harrisonburg, VA CBSA recorded a median AQI of 39 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 80.0% rated Good and 0 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 Harrisonburg, VA CBSA's 80.0% Good-day share places it cleaner than 68% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Bay City, MI (70.4% Good, median AQI 39) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Harrisonburg, VA.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Harrisonburg, VA's Good-day share moved -14.8 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +6).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 39

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

The verdict

Harrisonburg, VA's peak reading 80 stays in the lower max-AQI tercile on this extract. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, cleaner than the median US metro, with a median AQI of 39 and 80.0% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

39
median AQI · Good
80.0%
days rated Good
68%
cleaner than US metros
80
worst single reading

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

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Harrisonburg, VA metro's Good-day share rose from 77.3% to 80.0% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2.7 percentage points.
  • Harrisonburg, VA metro's median AQI fell from 42 to 39 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -3 points.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 365 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

Harrisonburg, VA's peak reading 80 stays in the lower max-AQI tercile on this extract. Signature read: peak AQI 80 (low tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 39 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Good). The monitored-day split lands at 292 Good (80%), 73 Moderate (20%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 56; the highest single-day reading hit 80 (Moderate).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -14.8 points and median AQI moved +6 (worsening). No Unhealthy-tier days appear in this annual dataset. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Bay City, MI (70.4% good, AQI 39); Brainerd, MN (74.3% good, AQI 39); Cambridge, MD (86.0% good, AQI 39).

Understanding AQI →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

39

Good

Good Days

80.0%

292 of 365 days

Max AQI

80

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 56

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

292

80%

Moderate

73

20%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Harrisonburg, VA metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 80.0% 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 Harrisonburg, VA metro compare?

How Harrisonburg, VA compares

Good-day share better than typical
Harrisonburg, VA 80.0%
Bay City, MI 70.4%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI better than typical
Harrisonburg, VA 39
Bay City, MI 39
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Harrisonburg, VA 0
Bay City, MI 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Harrisonburg, VA metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (94.8%, 344 of 363 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 344 19 0 33
2021 316 47 0 36
2022 332 33 0 34
2023 322 40 1 37
2024 283 83 0 42
2025 292 73 0 39

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Harrisonburg, VA (39).

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Harrisonburg, VA's 0 (independent of median AQI).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 90th percentile AQI for Harrisonburg, VA?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Harrisonburg, VA metro area is 56, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 80 (Moderate).
How many unhealthy air days does Harrisonburg, VA have?
In 2025, the Harrisonburg, VA metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 80.
What is the air quality in the Harrisonburg, VA metro area?
The Harrisonburg, VA metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 39, rated "Good." 80.0% of monitored days (292 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in Harrisonburg, VA getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Harrisonburg, VA 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 94.8% (344 of 363 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2024 at 77.3% (283 of 366 days).
What does AQI 39 mean for health?
An AQI of 39 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 Harrisonburg, VA compare to other metro areas?
The Harrisonburg, VA metro has 80.0% good air days. Similar metros: Bay City, MI (70.4% good), Brainerd, MN (74.3% good), Cambridge, MD (86.0% good).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Harrisonburg, VA, 2025. See our methodology for how AQI, median, and coverage figures are computed.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by CBSA summary, Harrisonburg, VA · 2020–2025