Metro area air quality · 2025

Paducah, KY-IL

Median AQI 39 (Good). 81.8% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

39
Median AQI
81.8%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
68%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 181 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Paducah, KY-IL metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 39 with 81.8% of 181 monitored days in the Good band.

39
median AQI · Good
81.8%
days rated Good
68%
cleaner than US metros
82
worst single reading

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

Insights: Paducah, KY-IL metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 39 over 181 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 148 Good days (82%), 33 Moderate (18%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 54 while the highest single-day reading hit 82 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 24.5 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -91 and the median AQI moved -5 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as improving. 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 Beaver Dam, WI (76.4% good, AQI 39); Bennington, VT (82.9% good, AQI 39); Billings, MT (86.7% good, AQI 39).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

39

Good

Good Days

81.8%

148 of 181 days

Max AQI

82

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 54

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 181 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

148

82%

Moderate

33

18%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Paducah, KY-IL metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 81.8% 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 Paducah, KY-IL metro compare?

How Paducah, KY-IL compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Paducah, KY-IL 81.8%
Beaver Dam, WI 76.4%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Paducah, KY-IL 39
Beaver Dam, WI 39
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Paducah, KY-IL 0
Beaver Dam, WI 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Paducah, KY-IL metro. Best year: 2024 (271 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 239 125 0 44
2021 220 142 0 45
2022 213 128 0 46
2023 203 145 0 47
2024 271 94 0 43
2025 148 33 0 39

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Paducah, KY-IL.

More Air Quality Data

Explore EPA air quality rankings and guides across U.S. metros and counties.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Paducah, KY-IL metro area?
The Paducah, KY-IL metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 39, rated "Good." 81.8% of monitored days (148 out of 181) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Paducah, KY-IL have?
In 2025, the Paducah, KY-IL metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 82.
Is air quality in Paducah, KY-IL getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Paducah, KY-IL metro is improving based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 271 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 148 good days.
What does AQI 39 mean for health?
An AQI of 39 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 Paducah, KY-IL?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Paducah, KY-IL metro area is 54, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 82 (Moderate).
How does Paducah, KY-IL compare to other metro areas?
The Paducah, KY-IL metro has 81.8% good air days. Similar metros: Beaver Dam, WI (76.4% good), Bennington, VT (82.9% good), Billings, MT (86.7% 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.

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.