Metro area air quality · 2025

Lexington-Fayette, KY

Median AQI 41 (Good). 74.3% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

41
Median AQI
74.3%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
52%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 187 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Lexington-Fayette, KY metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 41 with 74.3% of 187 monitored days in the Good band.

41
median AQI · Good
74.3%
days rated Good
52%
cleaner than US metros
76
worst single reading

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

Insights: Lexington-Fayette, KY metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 41 over 187 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 139 Good days (74%), 48 Moderate (26%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 57 while the highest single-day reading hit 76 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 22.3 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -116 and the median AQI moved -2 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as improving. The metro avoided any Unhealthy-tier days entirely, an outcome that typically reflects favorable wind patterns, lower industrial density, or effective regional emission controls. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Adrian, MI (77.3% good, AQI 41); Altoona, PA (71.9% good, AQI 41); Ann Arbor, MI (76.0% good, AQI 41).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

41

Good

Good Days

74.3%

139 of 187 days

Max AQI

76

Moderate

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 57

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 187 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

139

74%

Moderate

48

26%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 74.3% 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY metro compare?

How Lexington-Fayette, KY compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Lexington-Fayette, KY 74.3%
Adrian, MI 77.3%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI about average
Lexington-Fayette, KY 41
Adrian, MI 41
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Lexington-Fayette, KY 0
Adrian, MI 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro. Best year: 2024 (261 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 255 111 0 43
2021 214 147 0 47
2022 233 131 0 44
2023 231 131 1 45
2024 261 79 0 43
2025 139 48 0 41

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Lexington-Fayette, KY.

More Air Quality Data

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

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area?
The Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 41, rated "Good." 74.3% of monitored days (139 out of 187) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Lexington-Fayette, KY have?
In 2025, the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 76.
Is air quality in Lexington-Fayette, KY getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro is improving based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 261 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 139 good days.
What does AQI 41 mean for health?
An AQI of 41 is "Good", air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk. This is the best category on the EPA's AQI scale.
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area is 57, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 76 (Moderate).
How does Lexington-Fayette, KY compare to other metro areas?
The Lexington-Fayette, KY metro has 74.3% good air days. Similar metros: Adrian, MI (77.3% good), Altoona, PA (71.9% good), Ann Arbor, MI (76.0% 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.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by CBSA summary files (metro-level) · 2020–2025

Every figure on PlainAir 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.