Metro area air quality · 2025

Prineville, OR

Median AQI 24 (Good). 80.7% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

24
Median AQI
80.7%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
65%
Cleaner than US metros

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

The verdict

The Prineville, OR metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 24 with 80.7% of 181 monitored days in the Good band.

24
median AQI · Good
80.7%
days rated Good
65%
cleaner than US metros
75
worst single reading

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

Insights: Prineville, OR metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 24 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 146 Good days (81%), 35 Moderate (19%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 55 while the highest single-day reading hit 75 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 24.2 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -115 and the median AQI moved -4 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 Albany, OR (84.5% good, AQI 24); Coeur d'Alene, ID (88.4% good, AQI 24); Moscow, ID (99.3% good, AQI 24).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

24

Good

Good Days

80.7%

146 of 181 days

Max AQI

75

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 55

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 181 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

146

81%

Moderate

35

19%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Prineville, OR metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 80.7% 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 Prineville, OR metro compare?

How Prineville, OR compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Prineville, OR 80.7%
Albany, OR 84.5%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Prineville, OR 24
Albany, OR 24
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Prineville, OR 0
Albany, OR 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Prineville, OR metro. Best year: 2022 (288 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 261 97 1 28
2021 281 75 3 28
2022 288 69 0 24
2023 267 86 6 33
2024 282 76 3 24
2025 146 35 0 24

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Prineville, OR.

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 Prineville, OR metro area?
The Prineville, OR metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 24, rated "Good." 80.7% of monitored days (146 out of 181) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Prineville, OR have?
In 2025, the Prineville, OR metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 75.
Is air quality in Prineville, OR getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Prineville, OR metro is improving based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2022 with 288 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 146 good days.
What does AQI 24 mean for health?
An AQI of 24 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 Prineville, OR?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Prineville, OR metro area is 55, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 75 (Moderate).
How does Prineville, OR compare to other metro areas?
The Prineville, OR metro has 80.7% good air days. Similar metros: Albany, OR (84.5% good), Coeur d'Alene, ID (88.4% good), Moscow, ID (99.3% 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.