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.

Compiled by PlainAirData · August 23, 2026

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

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA's Good-day share (72.3%) sits in the middle CBSA tercile on this extract. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, cleaner than the median US metro, with a median AQI of 40 and 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.

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.

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA's Good-day share (72.3%) sits in the middle CBSA tercile on this extract. Signature read: 72.3% Good-day share (mid tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 40 over 365 measured days in 2025 (Good / Moderate). The monitored-day split lands at 264 Good (72%), 98 Moderate (27%), and 3 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 61; the highest single-day reading hit 117 (USG).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -5.5 points and median AQI moved -1 (worsening). No Unhealthy-tier days appear 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).

Understanding AQI →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

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

27%

USG

Unhealthy

Very Unhealthy

Hazardous

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

Compare against

Good-day share better than typical

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 72.3%

Altoona, PA 76.9%

Typical US metro 70.6%

Median AQI better than typical

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 40

Altoona, PA 40

Typical US metro 41

Unhealthy days / yr better than typical

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 0

Altoona, PA 0

Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (78.4%, 287 of 366 monitored days).

Year	Good	Moderate	Unhealthy	Median AQI	Max AQI
2020	287	79	0	41	83
2021	246	109	0	42	137
2022	253	112	0	43	74
2023	230	127	4	44	292
2024	263	103	0	40	97
2025	264	98	0	40	117

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

Beaver Dam, WI

Median AQI 40 · 72.3% Good-day share

Bismarck, ND

Median AQI 40 · 76.7% Good-day share

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

Median AQI 40 · 76.4% Good-day share

College Station-Bryan, TX

Median AQI 40 · 68.5% Good-day share

Fallon, NV

Median AQI 40 · 85.2% Good-day share

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

Aberdeen, WA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 22

Adrian, MI

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 41

Akron, OH

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

Albany, GA

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 46

Albany, OR

0 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 27

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

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 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 78.4% (287 of 366 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 63.7% (230 of 361 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.

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).

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).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA, 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, Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA · 2020–2025 Accessed 2026-07-06