Metro area air quality · 2025

Joplin, MO

Median AQI 38 (Good). 83.6% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

38
Median AQI
83.6%
Good-air days
1
Unhealthy days
75%
Cleaner than US metros

Joplin, MO posted a 2025 median AQI of 38 (Good) with 83.6% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Joplin, MO CBSA recorded a median AQI of 38 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 83.6% rated Good and 1 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 Joplin, MO CBSA's 83.6% Good-day share places it cleaner than 75% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Appleton, WI (72.3% Good, median AQI 38) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Joplin, MO.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Joplin, MO's Good-day share moved -3.6 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +3).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 38

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

The verdict

Joplin, MO sits in the upper Good-day tercile among EPA CBSA metros on this site (83.6% of 365 monitored days). On the EPA scale the metro runs good, cleaner than most US metros, with a median AQI of 38 and 83.6% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

38
median AQI · Good
83.6%
days rated Good
75%
cleaner than US metros
162
worst single reading

1 day reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Joplin, MO metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 99 to 162 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +63 points.
  • Joplin, MO metro's Good-day share rose from 80.5% to 83.8% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +3.3 percentage points.
  • Joplin, MO metro's median AQI fell from 41 to 38 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -3 points.
  • Joplin, MO metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 1 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1 days.

Compared against 359 monitored days in 2024 and 364 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

Joplin, MO sits in the upper Good-day tercile among EPA CBSA metros on this site (83.6% of 365 monitored days). Signature read: 83.6% Good-day share (high tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 38 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Good). The monitored-day split lands at 305 Good (84%), 58 Moderate (16%), and 1 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 58; the highest single-day reading hit 162 (Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -3.6 points and median AQI moved +3 (worsening). The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Appleton, WI (72.3% good, AQI 38); Billings, MT (86.3% good, AQI 38); Burlington-South Burlington, VT (87.7% good, AQI 38).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

38

Good

Good Days

83.6%

305 of 365 days

Max AQI

162

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 58

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

305

84%

Moderate

58

16%

USG

1

0%

Unhealthy

1

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Joplin, MO metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 83.6% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 1 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 162. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the Joplin, MO metro compare?

How Joplin, MO compares

Good-day share better than typical
Joplin, MO 83.6%
Appleton, WI 72.3%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI better than typical
Joplin, MO 38
Appleton, WI 38
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr about typical
Joplin, MO 1
Appleton, WI 6
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Joplin, MO metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (87.4%, 320 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 320 46 0 35
2021 298 62 0 38
2022 283 79 0 41
2023 288 73 0 42
2024 289 70 0 41
2025 305 58 1 38

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Joplin, MO (38).

Appleton, WI

Median AQI 38 · 72.3% Good-day share

38

Billings, MT

Median AQI 38 · 86.3% Good-day share

38

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

Median AQI 38 · 87.7% Good-day share

38

Charlottesville, VA

Median AQI 38 · 81.0% Good-day share

38

Corning, NY

Median AQI 38 · 83.3% Good-day share

38

Dickinson, ND

Median AQI 38 · 82.7% Good-day share

38

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Joplin, MO's 1 (independent of median AQI).

Ann Arbor, MI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 41

41

Bangor, ME

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 33

33

Baraboo, WI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 35

35

Bartlesville, OK

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44

44

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 52

52

Beaver Dam, WI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 40

40

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does Joplin, MO have? ▼
In 2025, the Joplin, MO metro area recorded 1 unhealthy air days (1 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 162.
What is the air quality in the Joplin, MO metro area? ▼
The Joplin, MO metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 38, rated "Good." 83.6% of monitored days (305 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in Joplin, MO getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Joplin, MO 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 87.4% (320 of 366 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2022 at 78.2% (283 of 362 days).
What does AQI 38 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 38 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 Joplin, MO compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Joplin, MO metro has 83.6% good air days. Similar metros: Appleton, WI (72.3% good), Billings, MT (86.3% good), Burlington-South Burlington, VT (87.7% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Joplin, MO? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Joplin, MO metro area is 58, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 162 (Unhealthy).

Data Sources

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