Metro area air quality · 2025

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA

Median AQI 40 (Good). 72.3% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

40
Median AQI
72.3%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
50%
Cleaner than US metros

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA posted a 2025 median AQI of 40 (Good) with 72.3% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA CBSA recorded a median AQI of 40 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 72.3% rated Good and 0 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA CBSA's 72.3% Good-day share places it cleaner than 50% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Altoona, PA (76.9% Good, median AQI 40) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA's Good-day share moved -5.5 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI -1).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 40

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

The verdict

The Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 40 with 72.3% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.

40
median AQI · Good
72.3%
days rated Good
50%
cleaner than US metros
117
worst single reading

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

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 97 to 117 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +20 points.
  • Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro's Good-day share rose from 71.9% to 72.9% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1.1 percentage points.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 362 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

Insights: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 40 over 365 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 264 Good days (72%), 98 Moderate (27%), and 3 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 61 while the highest single-day reading hit 117 (USG). Metro residents averaged roughly 21.7 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, the share of monitored days rated Good shifted by -5.5 points and the median AQI moved -1 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as worsening. The metro recorded no Unhealthy-tier days in this annual dataset. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Altoona, PA (76.9% good, AQI 40); Beaver Dam, WI (72.3% good, AQI 40); Bismarck, ND (76.7% good, AQI 40).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

40

Good

Good Days

72.3%

264 of 365 days

Max AQI

117

USG

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 61

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

264

72%

Moderate

98

27%

USG

3

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 72.3% 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro compare?

How Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 72.3%
Altoona, PA 76.9%
US average 70.6%
Median AQI better than US avg
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 40
Altoona, PA 40
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 0
Altoona, PA 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro. Best year: 2020 (287 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 287 79 0 41
2021 246 109 0 42
2022 253 112 0 43
2023 230 127 4 44
2024 263 103 0 40
2025 264 98 0 40

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA (40).

Altoona, PA

Median AQI 40 · 76.9% Good-day share

40

Beaver Dam, WI

Median AQI 40 · 72.3% Good-day share

40

Bismarck, ND

Median AQI 40 · 76.7% Good-day share

40

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

Median AQI 40 · 76.4% Good-day share

40

College Station-Bryan, TX

Median AQI 40 · 68.5% Good-day share

40

Fallon, NV

Median AQI 40 · 85.2% Good-day share

40

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA's 0 (independent of median AQI).

Aberdeen, SD

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 27

27

Aberdeen, WA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 22

22

Adrian, MI

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 41

41

Akron, OH

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

Albany, GA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 46

46

Albany, OR

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 27

27

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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro area? ▼
The Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 40, rated "Good." 72.3% of monitored days (264 out of 365) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA have? ▼
In 2025, the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 117.
Is air quality in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2020 with 287 good days. Worst year: 2023 with 230 good days.
What does AQI 40 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 40 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro area is 61, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 117 (USG).
How does Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro has 72.3% good air days. Similar metros: Altoona, PA (76.9% good), Beaver Dam, WI (72.3% good), Bismarck, ND (76.7% 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

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Every figure on PlainAirData 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.