Metro area air quality · 2025

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI

Median AQI 41 (Good). 80.9% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

41
Median AQI
80.9%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
69%
Cleaner than US metros

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI posted a 2025 median AQI of 41 (Good) with 80.9% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Niles-Benton Harbor, MI CBSA recorded a median AQI of 41 across 262 monitored days in 2025, with 80.9% 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 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI CBSA's 80.9% Good-day share places it cleaner than 69% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Adrian, MI (69.3% Good, median AQI 41) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Niles-Benton Harbor, MI.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI's Good-day share moved -4.6 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +3).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 41

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 262 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI sits in the upper Good-day tercile among EPA CBSA metros on this site (80.9% of 262 monitored days). On the EPA scale the metro runs good, cleaner than the median US metro, with a median AQI of 41 and 80.9% of 262 monitored days in the Good band.

41
median AQI · Good
80.9%
days rated Good
69%
cleaner than US metros
147
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
  • Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 101 to 147 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +46 points.
  • Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro's Good-day share fell from 83.3% to 81.9% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -1.5 percentage points.

Compared against 240 monitored days in 2024 and 259 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

Niles-Benton Harbor, MI sits in the upper Good-day tercile among EPA CBSA metros on this site (80.9% of 262 monitored days). Signature read: 80.9% 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 41 over 262 measured days in 2025 (Good / Good). The monitored-day split lands at 212 Good (81%), 47 Moderate (18%), and 3 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 67; the highest single-day reading hit 147 (USG).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -4.6 points and median AQI moved +3 (worsening). No Unhealthy-tier days appear in this annual dataset. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Adrian, MI (69.3% good, AQI 41); Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (67.7% good, AQI 41); Ann Arbor, MI (69.3% good, AQI 41).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

41

Good

Good Days

80.9%

212 of 262 days

Max AQI

147

USG

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 67

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 262 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

212

81%

Moderate

47

18%

USG

3

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 80.9% 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 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro compare?

How Niles-Benton Harbor, MI compares

Good-day share better than typical
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 80.9%
Adrian, MI 69.3%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI about typical
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 41
Adrian, MI 41
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than typical
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 0
Adrian, MI 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (86.5%, 217 of 251 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 217 34 0 38
2021 209 38 0 40
2022 197 30 1 39
2023 181 52 0 42
2024 200 40 0 41
2025 212 47 0 41

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Niles-Benton Harbor, MI (41).

Adrian, MI

Median AQI 41 · 69.3% Good-day share

41

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

Median AQI 41 · 67.7% Good-day share

41

Ann Arbor, MI

Median AQI 41 · 69.3% Good-day share

41

Bowling Green, KY

Median AQI 41 · 75.6% Good-day share

41

Brunswick, GA

Median AQI 41 · 74.3% Good-day share

41

Decatur, AL

Median AQI 41 · 78.4% Good-day share

41

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Niles-Benton Harbor, MI's 0 (independent of median AQI).

Aberdeen, SD

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 27

27

Aberdeen, WA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 22

22

Akron, OH

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

Albany, GA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 46

46

Albany, OR

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 27

27

Alexandria, LA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 37

37

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does Niles-Benton Harbor, MI have? ▼
In 2025, the Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 147.
What is the air quality in the Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro area? ▼
The Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 41, rated "Good." 80.9% of monitored days (212 out of 262) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in Niles-Benton Harbor, MI getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 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 86.5% (217 of 251 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 77.7% (181 of 233 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.
How does Niles-Benton Harbor, MI compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro has 80.9% good air days. Similar metros: Adrian, MI (69.3% good), Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (67.7% good), Ann Arbor, MI (69.3% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Niles-Benton Harbor, MI? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Niles-Benton Harbor, MI metro area is 67, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 147 (USG).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Niles-Benton Harbor, MI, 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, Niles-Benton Harbor, MI · 2020–2025