Metro area air quality · 2025
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Median AQI 53 (Moderate). 41.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 53
- Median AQI
- 41.4%
- Good-air days
- 2
- Unhealthy days
- 6%
- Cleaner than US metros
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD posted a 2025 median AQI of 53 (Moderate) with 41.4% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD CBSA recorded a median AQI of 53 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 41.4% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD CBSA's 41.4% Good-day share places it cleaner than 6% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (41.1% Good, median AQI 53) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD's Good-day share moved +12.5 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI -2).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 53
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD lands in the lower Good-day tercile (41.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. On the EPA scale the metro runs moderate, among the more polluted US metros, with a median AQI of 53 and 41.4% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.
- 53
- median AQI · Moderate
- 41.4%
- days rated Good
- 6%
- cleaner than US metros
- 168
- 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
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro's Good-day share rose from 39.6% to 42.7% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +3.1 percentage points.
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 2 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +2 days.
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 150 to 168 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +18 points.
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD lands in the lower Good-day tercile (41.4% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 41.4% Good-day share (low tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 53 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Moderate / Poor). The monitored-day split lands at 151 Good (41%), 201 Moderate (55%), and 11 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (3%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 80; the highest single-day reading hit 168 (Unhealthy).
Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted +12.5 points and median AQI moved -2 (improving). The annual record contains 2 days at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (41.1% good, AQI 53); Austin-Round Rock, TX (43.6% good, AQI 53); Corpus Christi, TX (40.5% good, AQI 53).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
53
Moderate
Good Days
41.4%
151 of 365 days
Max AQI
168
Unhealthy
Health Grade
Poor
90th pct: 80
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
151
41%
Moderate
201
55%
USG
11
3%
Unhealthy
2
1%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area's air quality is rated Poor based on 41.4% good air days. There were 2 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality is acceptable most days, but 11 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 168. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.
How does the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro compare?
How Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is improving in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro. Highest Good-day share: 2025 (42.7%, 151 of 354 monitored days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 108 | 250 | 0 | 55 | 143 |
| 2021 | 98 | 252 | 2 | 56 | 153 |
| 2022 | 97 | 262 | 0 | 56 | 126 |
| 2023 | 66 | 274 | 4 | 59 | 331 |
| 2024 | 139 | 212 | 0 | 53 | 150 |
| 2025 | 151 | 201 | 2 | 53 | 168 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (53).
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Median AQI 53 · 41.1% Good-day share
Austin-Round Rock, TX
Median AQI 53 · 43.6% Good-day share
Corpus Christi, TX
Median AQI 53 · 40.5% Good-day share
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Median AQI 53 · 42.2% Good-day share
Pittsburgh, PA
Median AQI 53 · 43.0% Good-day share
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
Median AQI 52 · 46.0% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD'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
Frequently Asked Questions
How many unhealthy air days does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD have? ▼
What is the air quality in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area? ▼
Is air quality in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 53 mean for health? ▼
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD compare to other metro areas? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD? ▼
Data Sources
Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 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, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · 2020–2025