Metro area air quality · 2025
Owensboro, KY
Median AQI 43 (Good). 67.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 43
- Median AQI
- 67.4%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 39%
- Cleaner than US metros
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 181 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
The Owensboro, KY metro runs good on the EPA scale, more polluted than the median US metro, a median AQI of 43 with 67.4% of 181 monitored days in the Good band.
- 43
- median AQI · Good
- 67.4%
- days rated Good
- 39%
- cleaner than US metros
- 82
- worst single reading
No day crossed into the Unhealthy tier across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Insights: Owensboro, KY metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 43 over 181 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 122 Good days (67%), 59 Moderate (33%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 59 while the highest single-day reading hit 82 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 20.2 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.
Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -132 and the median AQI moved +0 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as stable. The metro avoided any Unhealthy-tier days entirely, an outcome that typically reflects favorable wind patterns, lower industrial density, or effective regional emission controls. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ (65.6% good, AQI 43); Amarillo, TX (75.7% good, AQI 43); Ashtabula, OH (81.2% good, AQI 43).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
43
Good
Good Days
67.4%
122 of 181 days
Max AQI
82
Moderate
Health Grade
Moderate
90th pct: 59
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 181 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
122
67%
Moderate
59
33%
USG
0
0%
Unhealthy
0
0%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Owensboro, KY metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 67.4% 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 Owensboro, KY metro compare?
How Owensboro, KY compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is stable in the Owensboro, KY metro. Best year: 2020 (254 good days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 254 | 111 | 0 | 43 | 105 |
| 2021 | 200 | 165 | 0 | 48 | 99 |
| 2022 | 224 | 140 | 0 | 47 | 108 |
| 2023 | 180 | 114 | 1 | 46 | 170 |
| 2024 | 231 | 38 | 0 | 43 | 100 |
| 2025 | 122 | 59 | 0 | 43 | 82 |
Metros with Similar Air Quality
Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Owensboro, KY.
More Air Quality Data
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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 Owensboro, KY metro area? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Owensboro, KY have? ▼
Is air quality in Owensboro, KY getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 43 mean for health? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Owensboro, KY? ▼
How does Owensboro, KY 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
Every figure on PlainAir 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.