Metro area air quality · 2025

Roanoke, VA

Median AQI 39 (Good). 80.3% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

39
Median AQI
80.3%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
64%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 284 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Roanoke, VA metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 39 with 80.3% of 284 monitored days in the Good band.

39
median AQI · Good
80.3%
days rated Good
64%
cleaner than US metros
80
worst single reading

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

Insights: Roanoke, VA metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 39 over 284 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 228 Good days (80%), 56 Moderate (20%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 55 while the highest single-day reading hit 80 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 24.1 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -47 and the median AQI moved -1 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

80.3%

228 of 284 days

Max AQI

80

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 55

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 284 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

228

80%

Moderate

56

20%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Roanoke, VA metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 80.3% 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 Roanoke, VA metro compare?

How Roanoke, VA compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Roanoke, VA 80.3%
Beaver Dam, WI 76.4%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Roanoke, VA 39
Beaver Dam, WI 39
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Roanoke, VA 0
Beaver Dam, WI 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is improving in the Roanoke, VA metro. Best year: 2024 (299 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 275 91 0 40
2021 245 119 0 43
2022 255 110 0 42
2023 248 113 1 43
2024 299 67 0 40
2025 228 56 0 39

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Roanoke, VA.

Beaver Dam, WI

AQI 39 · 76.4% good

39

Bennington, VT

AQI 39 · 82.9% good

39

Billings, MT

AQI 39 · 86.7% good

39

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

AQI 39 · 92.4% good

39

Brainerd, MN

AQI 39 · 84.4% good

39

Brunswick, GA

AQI 39 · 81.9% good

39

More Air Quality Data

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

Cleanest Metro Areas

U.S. metros ranked by their share of Good air-quality days.

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

What drives urban air quality and how metro areas compare.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in the Roanoke, VA metro area? ▼
The Roanoke, VA metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 39, rated "Good." 80.3% of monitored days (228 out of 284) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Roanoke, VA have? ▼
In 2025, the Roanoke, VA metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 80.
Is air quality in Roanoke, VA getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Roanoke, VA metro is improving based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 299 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 228 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 Roanoke, VA? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Roanoke, VA metro area is 55, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 80 (Moderate).
How does Roanoke, VA compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Roanoke, VA metro has 80.3% 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.

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.