Metro area air quality · 2025

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

Median AQI 52 (Moderate). 44.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

52
Median AQI
44.4%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
9%
Cleaner than US metros

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX posted a 2025 median AQI of 52 (Moderate) with 44.4% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX CBSA recorded a median AQI of 52 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 44.4% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX CBSA's 44.4% Good-day share places it cleaner than 9% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (46.0% Good, median AQI 52) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX's Good-day share moved -16.3 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +8).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 52

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

The verdict

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX lands in the lower Good-day tercile (44.4% 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 52 and 44.4% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

52
median AQI · Moderate
44.4%
days rated Good
9%
cleaner than US metros
140
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
  • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro's Unhealthy-category days fell from 5 to 0 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -5 days.
  • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro's peak single-day AQI fell from 157 to 140 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -17 points.
  • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro's Good-day share rose from 43.2% to 44.9% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1.6 percentage points.

Compared against 347 monitored days in 2024 and 361 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

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX lands in the lower Good-day tercile (44.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 44.4% 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 52 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Moderate / Poor). The monitored-day split lands at 162 Good (44%), 199 Moderate (55%), and 4 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 69; the highest single-day reading hit 140 (USG).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -16.3 points and median AQI moved +8 (worsening). No Unhealthy-tier days appear in this annual dataset. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (46.0% good, AQI 52); Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (41.4% good, AQI 52); Birmingham-Hoover, AL (43.0% good, AQI 52).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

52

Moderate

Good Days

44.4%

162 of 365 days

Max AQI

140

USG

Health Grade

Poor

90th pct: 69

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

162

44%

Moderate

199

55%

USG

4

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Poor

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area's air quality is rated Poor based on 44.4% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro compare?

How McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX compares

Good-day share worse than typical
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 44.4%
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 46.0%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI worse than typical
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 52
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 52
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 0
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (61.2%, 222 of 363 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 222 139 2 44
2021 169 192 0 52
2022 197 165 0 49
2023 206 151 0 44
2024 150 192 5 54
2025 162 199 0 52

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (52).

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX have?
In 2025, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 140.
What is the air quality in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area?
The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 52, rated "Moderate." 44.4% of monitored days (162 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX getting better or worse?
Air quality in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 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: 2020 at 61.2% (222 of 363 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2024 at 43.2% (150 of 347 days).
What does AQI 52 mean for health?
An AQI of 52 is "Moderate", air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive individuals.
How does McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX compare to other metro areas?
The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro has 44.4% good air days. Similar metros: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (46.0% good), Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (41.4% good), Birmingham-Hoover, AL (43.0% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?
The 90th percentile AQI for the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area is 69, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 140 (USG).

Data Sources

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