Metro area air quality · 2025
Reading, PA
Median AQI 44 (Good). 65.6% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 44
- Median AQI
- 65.6%
- Good-air days
- 0
- Unhealthy days
- 35%
- Cleaner than US metros
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 212 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
The Reading, PA metro runs good on the EPA scale, more polluted than the median US metro, a median AQI of 44 with 65.6% of 212 monitored days in the Good band.
- 44
- median AQI · Good
- 65.6%
- days rated Good
- 35%
- cleaner than US metros
- 122
- worst single reading
No day crossed into the Unhealthy tier across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Insights: Reading, PA metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 44 over 212 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 139 Good days (66%), 71 Moderate (33%), and 2 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 65 while the highest single-day reading hit 122 (USG). Metro residents averaged roughly 19.7 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.
Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -88 and the median AQI moved +0 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 Athens-Clarke County, GA (66.7% good, AQI 44); Bartlesville, OK (65.6% good, AQI 44); Bloomington, IL (64.1% good, AQI 44).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
44
Good
Good Days
65.6%
139 of 212 days
Max AQI
122
USG
Health Grade
Moderate
90th pct: 65
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 212 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
139
66%
Moderate
71
33%
USG
2
1%
Unhealthy
0
0%
Very Unhealthy
0
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Reading, PA metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 65.6% 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 Reading, PA metro compare?
How Reading, PA compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is improving in the Reading, PA metro. Best year: 2024 (254 good days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 227 | 134 | 0 | 44 | 102 |
| 2021 | 198 | 162 | 0 | 48 | 133 |
| 2022 | 240 | 123 | 0 | 44 | 101 |
| 2023 | 205 | 147 | 3 | 48 | 287 |
| 2024 | 254 | 110 | 0 | 43 | 105 |
| 2025 | 139 | 71 | 0 | 44 | 122 |
Metros with Similar Air Quality
Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Reading, PA.
More Air Quality Data
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Cleanest Metro Areas
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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
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Air Quality Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in the Reading, PA metro area? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Reading, PA have? ▼
Is air quality in Reading, PA getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 44 mean for health? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Reading, PA? ▼
How does Reading, PA compare to other metro areas? ▼
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.