Metro area air quality · 2025

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

Median AQI 43 (Good). 61.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

43
Median AQI
61.4%
Good-air days
1
Unhealthy days
27%
Cleaner than US metros

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI posted a 2025 median AQI of 43 (Good) with 61.4% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI CBSA recorded a median AQI of 43 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 61.4% 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 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI CBSA's 61.4% Good-day share places it cleaner than 27% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Ashtabula, OH (81.2% Good, median AQI 43) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Kalamazoo-Portage, MI.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI's Good-day share moved -13.0 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +2).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 43

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

The verdict

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI lands in the lower Good-day tercile (61.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, more polluted than the median US metro, with a median AQI of 43 and 61.4% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

43
median AQI · Good
61.4%
days rated Good
27%
cleaner than US metros
156
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
  • Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 100 to 156 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +56 points.
  • Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro's Good-day share fell from 63.9% to 62.4% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -1.5 percentage points.
  • Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 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 366 monitored days in 2024 and 359 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

Kalamazoo-Portage, MI lands in the lower Good-day tercile (61.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 61.4% 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 43 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Moderate). The monitored-day split lands at 224 Good (61%), 134 Moderate (37%), and 6 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (2%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 71; the highest single-day reading hit 156 (Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -13.0 points and median AQI moved +2 (worsening). The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Ashtabula, OH (81.2% good, AQI 43); Bloomington, IN (67.7% good, AQI 43); Champaign-Urbana, IL (65.8% good, AQI 43).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

43

Good

Good Days

61.4%

224 of 365 days

Max AQI

156

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 71

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

224

61%

Moderate

134

37%

USG

6

2%

Unhealthy

1

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 61.4% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 6 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 156. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro compare?

How Kalamazoo-Portage, MI compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 61.4%
Ashtabula, OH 81.2%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI worse than typical
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 43
Ashtabula, OH 43
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr about typical
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 1
Ashtabula, OH 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (75.4%, 239 of 317 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 239 78 0 41
2021 177 172 0 50
2022 177 172 0 50
2023 151 198 2 53
2024 234 132 0 45
2025 224 134 1 43

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Kalamazoo-Portage, MI (43).

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does Kalamazoo-Portage, MI have?
In 2025, the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area recorded 1 unhealthy air days (1 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 156.
What is the air quality in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area?
The Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 43, rated "Good." 61.4% of monitored days (224 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 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 75.4% (239 of 317 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 43.0% (151 of 351 days).
What does AQI 43 mean for health?
An AQI of 43 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 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI compare to other metro areas?
The Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro has 61.4% good air days. Similar metros: Ashtabula, OH (81.2% good), Bloomington, IN (67.7% good), Champaign-Urbana, IL (65.8% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area is 71, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 156 (Unhealthy).

Data Sources

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