Metro area air quality · 2025

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Median AQI 48 (Good). 56.4% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

48
Median AQI
56.4%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
19%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 243 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro runs good on the EPA scale, among the more polluted US metros, a median AQI of 48 with 56.4% of 243 monitored days in the Good band.

48
median AQI · Good
56.4%
days rated Good
19%
cleaner than US metros
100
worst single reading

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

Insights: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 48 over 243 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Moderate metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 137 Good days (56%), 106 Moderate (44%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 71 while the highest single-day reading hit 100 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 16.9 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -59 and the median AQI moved -1 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as stable. 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 Brookings, SD (53.0% good, AQI 48); Charleston-North Charleston, SC (58.2% good, AQI 48); Chattanooga, TN-GA (53.9% good, AQI 48).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

48

Good

Good Days

56.4%

137 of 243 days

Max AQI

100

Moderate

Health Grade

Moderate

90th pct: 71

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 243 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

137

56%

Moderate

106

44%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Moderate

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 56.4% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro compare?

How Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compares

Good-day share worse than US avg
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 56.4%
Brookings, SD 53.0%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI worse than US avg
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 48
Brookings, SD 48
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 0
Brookings, SD 1
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is stable in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro. Best year: 2024 (211 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 196 156 4 49
2021 201 157 2 48
2022 178 154 7 51
2023 186 172 3 50
2024 211 151 1 47
2025 137 106 0 48

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.

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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area?
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 48, rated "Good." 56.4% of monitored days (137 out of 243) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA have?
In 2025, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 100.
Is air quality in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA getting better or worse?
Air quality in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro is stable based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 211 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 137 good days.
What does AQI 48 mean for health?
An AQI of 48 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The 90th percentile AQI for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is 71, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 100 (Moderate).
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compare to other metro areas?
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro has 56.4% good air days. Similar metros: Brookings, SD (53.0% good), Charleston-North Charleston, SC (58.2% good), Chattanooga, TN-GA (53.9% 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.