Metro area air quality · 2025

Las Cruces, NM

Median AQI 61 (Moderate). 27.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

Compiled by PlainAirData · August 23, 2026

61
Median AQI: 27.4%
Good-air days: 21
Unhealthy days: 2%
Cleaner than US metros

Las Cruces, NM posted a 2025 median AQI of 61 (Moderate) with 27.4% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Las Cruces, NM CBSA recorded a median AQI of 61 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 27.4% rated Good and 21 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 Las Cruces, NM CBSA's 27.4% Good-day share places it cleaner than 2% 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 Las Cruces, NM.
2020–2025 Good-day shift: Las Cruces, NM's Good-day share moved -10.4 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +7).
Median AQI: Median AQI: 61

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

The verdict

The Las Cruces, NM metro runs moderate on the EPA scale, among the more polluted US metros, a median AQI of 61 with 27.4% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

61
median AQI · Moderate: 27.4%
days rated Good: 2%
cleaner than US metros: 528
worst single reading

21 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Las Cruces, NM metro's peak single-day AQI fell from 692 to 528 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -164 points.
Las Cruces, NM metro's Good-day share rose from 28.5% to 31.0% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2.4 percentage points.

Insights: Las Cruces, NM metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 61 over 365 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Moderate band and a Poor metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 100 Good days (27%), 217 Moderate (59%), and 27 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (7%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 115 while the highest single-day reading hit 528 (Hazardous). Metro residents averaged roughly 8.2 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -10.4 points (measured against 348 monitored days in 2020 and 323 in 2025, so raw day counts are not comparable) and the median AQI moved +7 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as worsening. The annual record contains 21 days at Unhealthy or worse. On those days, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Albuquerque, NM (24.9% good, AQI 61); Fresno, CA (28.8% good, AQI 61); Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (31.0% good, AQI 61).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

Moderate

Good Days

27.4%

100 of 365 days

Max AQI

528

Hazardous

Health Grade

Poor

90th pct: 115

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

100

27%

Moderate

217

59%

USG

Unhealthy

Very Unhealthy

Hazardous

Health Impact Assessment

Poor

The Las Cruces, NM metro area's air quality is rated Poor based on 27.4% good air days. There were 21 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality posed significant health risk in 2025. Sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular conditions, children, pregnant women, and adults over 65, should monitor AirNow.gov alerts and limit outdoor activity on Unhealthy (AQI 151+) and Very Unhealthy (201+) days. Peak readings reached AQI 528, beyond EPA's standard 0-500 scale, indicating an extreme event.

Sensitive group advisory

People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, children, pregnant women, and adults 65+ should follow EPA AQI alerts daily and limit outdoor exertion when AQI exceeds 100. Real-time conditions: airnow.gov.

Note: EPA's standard AQI scale caps at 500. The 528 peak reading represents an extreme event extrapolated beyond the index's design range. See EPA wildfire smoke guidance.

How does the Las Cruces, NM metro compare?

How Las Cruces, NM compares

Compare against

Good-day share worse than typical

Las Cruces, NM 27.4%

Albuquerque, NM 24.9%

Typical US metro 70.6%

Median AQI worse than typical

Las Cruces, NM 61

Albuquerque, NM 61

Typical US metro 41

Unhealthy days / yr worse than typical

Las Cruces, NM 21

Albuquerque, NM 3

Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Las Cruces, NM metro. Highest Good-day share: 2022 (46.6%, 157 of 337 monitored days).

Year	Good	Moderate	Unhealthy	Median AQI	Max AQI
2020	144	201	3	54	389
2021	126	208	8	56	683
2022	157	179	1	53	367
2023	162	189	3	52	196
2024	97	237	6	62	692
2025	100	217	6	61	528

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Las Cruces, NM (61).

Albuquerque, NM

Median AQI 61 · 24.9% Good-day share

Fresno, CA

Median AQI 61 · 28.8% Good-day share

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

Median AQI 61 · 31.0% Good-day share

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Median AQI 59 · 28.2% Good-day share

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Median AQI 63 · 10.1% Good-day share

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

Median AQI 58 · 28.8% Good-day share

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Las Cruces, NM's 21 (independent of median AQI).

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

13 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 78

Duluth, MN-WI

12 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 42

El Paso, TX

30 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 70

El Centro, CA

10 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 64

Fairbanks, AK

10 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

32 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 74

More Air Quality Data

Explore EPA air quality rankings and guides across U.S. metros and counties.

Cleanest Metro Areas

U.S. metros ranked by their share of Good air-quality days.

Worst Air Quality

Counties and metros with the most unhealthy air days.

All Metro Areas

Annual AQI by CBSA for every monitored U.S. metro area.

Best and Worst City Air

What drives urban air quality and how metro areas compare.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Las Cruces, NM metro area? ▼

The Las Cruces, NM metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 61, rated "Moderate." 27.4% of monitored days (100 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.

How many unhealthy air days does Las Cruces, NM have? ▼

In 2025, the Las Cruces, NM metro area recorded 21 unhealthy air days (6 Unhealthy, 5 Very Unhealthy, 10 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 528.

Is air quality in Las Cruces, NM getting better or worse? ▼

Air quality in the Las Cruces, NM 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: 2022 at 46.6% (157 of 337 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2024 at 28.5% (97 of 340 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.

What is the 90th percentile AQI for Las Cruces, NM? ▼

The 90th percentile AQI for the Las Cruces, NM metro area is 115, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 528 (Hazardous).

How does Las Cruces, NM compare to other metro areas? ▼

The Las Cruces, NM metro has 27.4% good air days. Similar metros: Albuquerque, NM (24.9% good), Fresno, CA (28.8% good), Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (31.0% good).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset, 2020–2025. 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 files (metro-level) · 2020–2025 Accessed 2026-07-06

Send the source-year summary or download its ready-to-use data card.

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Every figure on PlainAirData is rendered directly from EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on EPA AQS air-quality monitoring data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.