Metro area air quality · 2025

Lubbock, TX

Median AQI 24 (Good). 92.9% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

Compiled by PlainAirData · August 23, 2026

24
Median AQI: 92.9%
Good-air days: 1
Unhealthy days: 90%
Cleaner than US metros

Lubbock, TX posted a 2025 median AQI of 24 (Good) with 92.9% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Lubbock, TX CBSA recorded a median AQI of 24 across 338 monitored days in 2025, with 92.9% 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 Lubbock, TX CBSA's 92.9% Good-day share places it cleaner than 90% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer: Bend-Redmond, OR (89.3% Good, median AQI 23) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Lubbock, TX.
2020–2025 Good-day shift: Lubbock, TX's Good-day share moved +4.8 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI -2).
Median AQI: Median AQI: 24

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 338 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

Lubbock, TX sits in the upper Good-day tercile among EPA CBSA metros on this site (92.9% of 338 monitored days). On the EPA scale the metro runs good, among the cleanest 10% of US metros, with a median AQI of 24 and 92.9% of 338 monitored days in the Good band.

24
median AQI · Good: 92.9%
days rated Good: 90%
cleaner than US metros: 167
worst single reading

1 day reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Lubbock, TX metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 91 to 167 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +76 points.
Lubbock, TX metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 1 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1 days.

Lubbock, TX sits in the upper Good-day tercile among EPA CBSA metros on this site (92.9% of 338 monitored days). Signature read: 92.9% Good-day share (high tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 24 over 338 measured days in 2025 (Good / Excellent). The monitored-day split lands at 314 Good (93%), 22 Moderate (7%), and 1 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 46; the highest single-day reading hit 167 (Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted +4.8 points and median AQI moved -2 (improving). The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Bend-Redmond, OR (89.3% good, AQI 23); Cañon City, CO (93.4% good, AQI 23); Ellensburg, WA (80.0% good, AQI 25).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

Good

Good Days

92.9%

314 of 338 days

Max AQI

167

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Excellent

90th pct: 46

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 338 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

314

93%

Moderate

USG

Unhealthy

Very Unhealthy

Hazardous

Health Impact Assessment

Excellent

The Lubbock, TX metro area's air quality is rated Excellent based on 92.9% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 1 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 167. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the Lubbock, TX metro compare?

How Lubbock, TX compares

Compare against

Good-day share better than typical

Lubbock, TX 92.9%

Bend-Redmond, OR 89.3%

Typical US metro 70.6%

Median AQI better than typical

Lubbock, TX 24

Bend-Redmond, OR 23

Typical US metro 41

Unhealthy days / yr about typical

Lubbock, TX 1

Bend-Redmond, OR 1

Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Lubbock, TX metro. Highest Good-day share: 2025 (93.2%, 314 of 337 monitored days).

Year	Good	Moderate	Unhealthy	Median AQI	Max AQI
2020	311	41	0	26	83
2021	278	69	0	31	85
2022	300	45	0	26	138
2023	323	40	1	25	161
2024	330	28	0	23	91
2025	314	22	1	24	167

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Lubbock, TX (24).

Bend-Redmond, OR

Median AQI 23 · 89.3% Good-day share

Cañon City, CO

Median AQI 23 · 93.4% Good-day share

Ellensburg, WA

Median AQI 25 · 80.0% Good-day share

Juneau, AK

Median AQI 23 · 84.3% Good-day share

Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA

Median AQI 25 · 97.5% Good-day share

Pullman, WA

Median AQI 23 · 86.8% Good-day share

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

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

Ann Arbor, MI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 41

Bangor, ME

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 33

Baraboo, WI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 35

Bartlesville, OK

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 52

Beaver Dam, WI

1 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 40

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does Lubbock, TX have? ▼

In 2025, the Lubbock, TX metro area recorded 1 unhealthy air days (1 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 167.

What is the air quality in the Lubbock, TX metro area? ▼

The Lubbock, TX metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 24, rated "Good." 92.9% of monitored days (314 out of 338) had good air quality in 2025.

Is air quality in Lubbock, TX getting better or worse? ▼

Air quality in the Lubbock, TX metro is improving across floor-qualifying years (2020-2025); years with fewer than 100 monitored days are excluded from that direction. Highest qualifying Good-day share: 2025 at 93.2% (314 of 337 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2021 at 80.1% (278 of 347 days).

What does AQI 24 mean for health? ▼

An AQI of 24 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 Lubbock, TX compare to other metro areas? ▼

The Lubbock, TX metro has 92.9% good air days. Similar metros: Bend-Redmond, OR (89.3% good), Cañon City, CO (93.4% good), Ellensburg, WA (80.0% good).

What is the 90th percentile AQI for Lubbock, TX? ▼

The 90th percentile AQI for the Lubbock, TX metro area is 46, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 167 (Unhealthy).

Data Sources

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