Metro area air quality · 2025

Portsmouth, OH

Median AQI 46 (Good). 55.9% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

46
Median AQI
55.9%
Good-air days
1
Unhealthy days
18%
Cleaner than US metros

Portsmouth, OH posted a 2025 median AQI of 46 (Good) with 55.9% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Portsmouth, OH CBSA recorded a median AQI of 46 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 55.9% rated Good and 1 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 Portsmouth, OH CBSA's 55.9% Good-day share places it cleaner than 18% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Albany, GA (57.3% Good, median AQI 46) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Portsmouth, OH.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Portsmouth, OH's Good-day share moved -38.6 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +32).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 46

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

Portsmouth, OH lands in the lower Good-day tercile (55.9% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, among the more polluted US metros, with a median AQI of 46 and 55.9% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

46
median AQI · Good
55.9%
days rated Good
18%
cleaner than US metros
238
worst single reading

1 day reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Portsmouth, OH metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 80 to 238 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +158 points.
  • Portsmouth, OH metro's Good-day share fell from 67.8% to 56.2% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -11.6 percentage points.
  • Portsmouth, OH metro's median AQI rose from 40 to 46 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +6 points.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 363 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

Portsmouth, OH lands in the lower Good-day tercile (55.9% Good), a thinner clean-air share than most CBSA peers here. Signature read: 55.9% 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 46 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Moderate). The monitored-day split lands at 204 Good (56%), 159 Moderate (44%), and 1 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 64; the highest single-day reading hit 238 (Very Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -38.6 points and median AQI moved +32 (worsening). The annual record contains 1 day at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Albany, GA (57.3% good, AQI 46); Athens-Clarke County, GA (57.8% good, AQI 46); Brookings, SD (58.6% good, AQI 46).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

46

Good

Good Days

55.9%

204 of 365 days

Max AQI

238

Very Unhealthy

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 64

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

204

56%

Moderate

159

44%

USG

1

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

1

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Portsmouth, OH metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 55.9% good air days. There were 1 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality reached unhealthy levels on 1 days in 2025 (0 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy). Sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular conditions, children, and adults over 65, should review the daily breakdown and follow local advisories.

Sensitive group advisory

People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, children, pregnant women, and adults 65+ should follow EPA AQI alerts daily and limit outdoor exertion when AQI exceeds 100. Real-time conditions: airnow.gov.

How does the Portsmouth, OH metro compare?

How Portsmouth, OH compares

Good-day share worse than typical
Portsmouth, OH 55.9%
Albany, GA 57.3%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI worse than typical
Portsmouth, OH 46
Albany, GA 46
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr about typical
Portsmouth, OH 1
Albany, GA 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Portsmouth, OH metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (94.8%, 347 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 347 19 0 14
2021 333 32 0 16
2022 340 25 0 17
2023 223 135 2 44
2024 248 118 0 40
2025 204 159 0 46

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Portsmouth, OH (46).

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Portsmouth, OH's 1 (independent of median AQI).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many unhealthy air days does Portsmouth, OH have?
In 2025, the Portsmouth, OH metro area recorded 1 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 238.
What is the air quality in the Portsmouth, OH metro area?
The Portsmouth, OH metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 46, rated "Good." 55.9% of monitored days (204 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in Portsmouth, OH getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Portsmouth, OH 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 94.8% (347 of 366 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2025 at 56.2% (204 of 363 days).
What does AQI 46 mean for health?
An AQI of 46 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 Portsmouth, OH compare to other metro areas?
The Portsmouth, OH metro has 55.9% good air days. Similar metros: Albany, GA (57.3% good), Athens-Clarke County, GA (57.8% good), Brookings, SD (58.6% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Portsmouth, OH?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Portsmouth, OH metro area is 64, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 238 (Very Unhealthy).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Portsmouth, OH, 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, Portsmouth, OH · 2020–2025