Metro area air quality · 2025

Laredo, TX

Median AQI 51 (Moderate). 49.9% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

51
Median AQI
49.9%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
12%
Cleaner than US metros

Laredo, TX posted a 2025 median AQI of 51 (Moderate) with 49.9% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Laredo, TX CBSA recorded a median AQI of 51 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 49.9% 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 Laredo, TX CBSA's 49.9% Good-day share places it cleaner than 12% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Boise City, ID (49.9% Good, median AQI 51) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Laredo, TX.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Laredo, TX's Good-day share moved -9.1 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +4).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 51

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

The verdict

Laredo, TX lands in the lower Good-day tercile (49.9% 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 51 and 49.9% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

51
median AQI · Moderate
49.9%
days rated Good
12%
cleaner than US metros
121
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
  • Laredo, TX metro's Good-day share fell from 60.1% to 50.6% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -9.6 percentage points.
  • Laredo, TX metro's median AQI rose from 45 to 51 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +6 points.

Compared against 351 monitored days in 2024 and 360 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

Laredo, TX lands in the lower Good-day tercile (49.9% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 49.9% 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 51 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Moderate / Poor). The monitored-day split lands at 182 Good (50%), 178 Moderate (49%), and 5 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 71; the highest single-day reading hit 121 (USG).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -9.1 points and median AQI moved +4 (worsening). No Unhealthy-tier days appear in this annual dataset. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Boise City, ID (49.9% good, AQI 51); Hot Springs, AR (49.2% good, AQI 51); Kansas City, MO-KS (49.3% good, AQI 51).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

51

Moderate

Good Days

49.9%

182 of 365 days

Max AQI

121

USG

Health Grade

Poor

90th pct: 71

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

182

50%

Moderate

178

49%

USG

5

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Poor

The Laredo, TX metro area's air quality is rated Poor based on 49.9% 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 Laredo, TX metro compare?

How Laredo, TX compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Laredo, TX 49.9%
Boise City, ID 49.9%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI worse than typical
Laredo, TX 51
Boise City, ID 51
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Laredo, TX 0
Boise City, ID 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Laredo, TX metro. Highest Good-day share: 2023 (63.1%, 227 of 360 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 217 146 1 47
2021 197 168 0 48
2022 215 144 0 45
2023 227 133 0 44
2024 211 140 0 45
2025 182 178 0 51

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Laredo, TX (51).

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does Laredo, TX have?
In 2025, the Laredo, TX metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 121.
What is the air quality in the Laredo, TX metro area?
The Laredo, TX metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 51, rated "Moderate." 49.9% of monitored days (182 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in Laredo, TX getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Laredo, TX 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: 2023 at 63.1% (227 of 360 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2025 at 50.6% (182 of 360 days).
What does AQI 51 mean for health?
An AQI of 51 is "Moderate", air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive individuals.
How does Laredo, TX compare to other metro areas?
The Laredo, TX metro has 49.9% good air days. Similar metros: Boise City, ID (49.9% good), Hot Springs, AR (49.2% good), Kansas City, MO-KS (49.3% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Laredo, TX?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Laredo, TX metro area is 71, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 121 (USG).

Data Sources

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