Metro area air quality · 2025
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
Median AQI 39 (Good). 82.5% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 39
- Median AQI
- 82.5%
- Good-air days
- 2
- Unhealthy days
- 72%
- Cleaner than US metros
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC posted a 2025 median AQI of 39 (Good) with 82.5% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC CBSA recorded a median AQI of 39 across 325 monitored days in 2025, with 82.5% rated Good and 2 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC CBSA's 82.5% Good-day share places it cleaner than 72% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Bay City, MI (70.4% Good, median AQI 39) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC's Good-day share moved -17.3 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +7).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 39
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 325 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 39 with 82.5% of 325 monitored days in the Good band.
- 39
- median AQI · Good
- 82.5%
- days rated Good
- 72%
- cleaner than US metros
- 170
- worst single reading
2 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 87 to 170 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +83 points.
- Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro's Good-day share rose from 78.8% to 82.7% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +3.9 percentage points.
- Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 2 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2 days.
Insights: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 39 over 325 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 268 Good days (82%), 54 Moderate (17%), and 1 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 55 while the highest single-day reading hit 170 (Unhealthy). Metro residents averaged roughly 24.7 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 -17.3 points (measured against 214 monitored days in 2020 and 324 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 2 days at Unhealthy or worse. On those days, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Bay City, MI (70.4% good, AQI 39); Brainerd, MN (74.3% good, AQI 39); Cambridge, MD (86.0% good, AQI 39).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
39
Good
Good Days
82.5%
268 of 325 days
Max AQI
170
Unhealthy
Health Grade
Good
90th pct: 55
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 325 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
268
82%
Moderate
54
17%
USG
1
0%
Unhealthy
2
1%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 82.5% good air days. There were 2 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 170. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
How does the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro compare?
How Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is worsening in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro. Best year: 2024 (287 good days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 214 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 50 |
| 2021 | 238 | 26 | 0 | 38 | 90 |
| 2022 | 247 | 16 | 0 | 38 | 93 |
| 2023 | 238 | 94 | 0 | 43 | 100 |
| 2024 | 287 | 77 | 0 | 40 | 87 |
| 2025 | 268 | 54 | 2 | 39 | 170 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC (39).
Bay City, MI
Median AQI 39 · 70.4% Good-day share
Brainerd, MN
Median AQI 39 · 74.3% Good-day share
Cambridge, MD
Median AQI 39 · 86.0% Good-day share
Charleston, WV
Median AQI 39 · 77.0% Good-day share
Dalton, GA
Median AQI 39 · 90.3% Good-day share
Harrisonburg, VA
Median AQI 39 · 80.0% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC's 2 (independent of median AQI).
Ardmore, OK
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 44
Chattanooga, TN-GA
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 49
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 56
Columbus, GA-AL
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 48
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 46
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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC metro area? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC have? ▼
Is air quality in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 39 mean for health? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC? ▼
How does Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC compare to other metro areas? ▼
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
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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.