Metro area air quality · 2025
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Median AQI 74 (Moderate). 10.7% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 74
- Median AQI
- 10.7%
- Good-air days
- 32
- Unhealthy days
- 1%
- Cleaner than US metros
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA posted a 2025 median AQI of 74 (Moderate) with 10.7% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CBSA recorded a median AQI of 74 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 10.7% rated Good and 32 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CBSA's 10.7% Good-day share places it cleaner than 1% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Bakersfield, CA (17.5% Good, median AQI 70) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA's Good-day share moved +0.2 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI -11).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 74
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA lands in the lower Good-day tercile (10.7% 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 74 and 10.7% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.
- 74
- median AQI · Moderate
- 10.7%
- days rated Good
- 1%
- cleaner than US metros
- 201
- worst single reading
32 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro's Unhealthy-category days fell from 47 to 31 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -16 days.
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro's peak single-day AQI fell from 230 to 201 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -29 points.
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro's median AQI fell from 80 to 74 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -6 points.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA lands in the lower Good-day tercile (10.7% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 10.7% 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 74 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Moderate / Very Poor). The monitored-day split lands at 39 Good (11%), 227 Moderate (62%), and 67 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (18%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 147; the highest single-day reading hit 201 (Very Unhealthy).
Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted +0.2 points and median AQI moved -11 (improving). The annual record contains 32 days at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Bakersfield, CA (17.5% good, AQI 70); El Paso, TX (18.1% good, AQI 70); Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (6.6% good, AQI 78).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
74
Moderate
Good Days
10.7%
39 of 365 days
Max AQI
201
Very Unhealthy
Health Grade
Very Poor
90th pct: 147
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
39
11%
Moderate
227
62%
USG
67
18%
Unhealthy
31
8%
Very Unhealthy
1
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's air quality is rated Very Poor based on 10.7% good air days. There were 32 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality reached unhealthy levels on 32 days in 2025 (31 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy). Sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular conditions, children, and adults over 65, should review the daily breakdown and follow local advisories.
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.
How does the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro compare?
How Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is improving in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro. Highest Good-day share: 2024 (13.3%, 37 of 279 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 35 | 189 | 46 | 85 | 250 |
| 2021 | 9 | 258 | 26 | 80 | 281 |
| 2022 | 17 | 254 | 29 | 74 | 209 |
| 2023 | 41 | 237 | 32 | 67 | 210 |
| 2024 | 37 | 195 | 47 | 80 | 230 |
| 2025 | 39 | 227 | 31 | 74 | 201 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (74).
Bakersfield, CA
Median AQI 70 · 17.5% Good-day share
El Paso, TX
Median AQI 70 · 18.1% Good-day share
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Median AQI 78 · 6.6% Good-day share
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
Median AQI 67 · 17.5% Good-day share
El Centro, CA
Median AQI 64 · 27.7% Good-day share
Visalia-Porterville, CA
Median AQI 64 · 24.1% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA's 32 (independent of median AQI).
Las Cruces, NM
21 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 61
Duluth, MN-WI
12 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 42
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
11 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 63
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
53 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 87
Fairbanks, AK
10 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44
Bemidji, MN
9 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 36
Frequently Asked Questions
How many unhealthy air days does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA have? ▼
What is the air quality in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area? ▼
Is air quality in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 74 mean for health? ▼
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA compare to other metro areas? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA? ▼
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 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, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · 2020–2025