Metro area air quality · 2025

Oxford, NC

Median AQI 40 (Good). 91.5% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

40
Median AQI
91.5%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
86%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 177 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Oxford, NC metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than most US metros, a median AQI of 40 with 91.5% of 177 monitored days in the Good band.

40
median AQI · Good
91.5%
days rated Good
86%
cleaner than US metros
87
worst single reading

No day crossed into the Unhealthy tier across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Insights: Oxford, NC metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 40 over 177 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Excellent metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 162 Good days (92%), 15 Moderate (8%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 50 while the highest single-day reading hit 87 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 27.5 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -75 and the median AQI moved +4 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as worsening. 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 Berlin, NH-VT (85.4% good, AQI 40); Burlington-South Burlington, VT (91.2% good, AQI 40); Cambridge, MD (84.4% good, AQI 40).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

40

Good

Good Days

91.5%

162 of 177 days

Max AQI

87

Moderate

Health Grade

Excellent

90th pct: 50

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 177 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

162

92%

Moderate

15

8%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Excellent

The Oxford, NC metro area's air quality is rated Excellent based on 91.5% 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 Oxford, NC metro compare?

How Oxford, NC compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Oxford, NC 91.5%
Berlin, NH-VT 85.4%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Oxford, NC 40
Berlin, NH-VT 40
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Oxford, NC 0
Berlin, NH-VT 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Oxford, NC metro. Best year: 2021 (237 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 237 1 0 36
2021 237 5 0 38
2022 223 20 0 42
2023 202 39 0 43
2024 206 37 0 42
2025 162 15 0 40

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Oxford, NC.

Berlin, NH-VT

AQI 40 · 85.4% good

40

Burlington-South Burlington, VT

AQI 40 · 91.2% good

40

Cambridge, MD

AQI 40 · 84.4% good

40

Charleston, WV

AQI 40 · 79.6% good

40

Corning, NY

AQI 40 · 80.2% good

40

Dickinson, ND

AQI 40 · 80.3% good

40

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 Oxford, NC metro area? ▼
The Oxford, NC metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 40, rated "Good." 91.5% of monitored days (162 out of 177) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Oxford, NC have? ▼
In 2025, the Oxford, NC metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 87.
Is air quality in Oxford, NC getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Oxford, NC metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2021 with 237 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 162 good days.
What does AQI 40 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 40 is "Good", air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk. This is the best category on the EPA's AQI scale.
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Oxford, NC? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Oxford, NC metro area is 50, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 87 (Moderate).
How does Oxford, NC compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Oxford, NC metro has 91.5% good air days. Similar metros: Berlin, NH-VT (85.4% good), Burlington-South Burlington, VT (91.2% good), Cambridge, MD (84.4% good).

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.