Metro area air quality · 2025

St. Cloud, MN

Median AQI 37 (Good). 75.6% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

37
Median AQI
75.6%
Good-air days
3
Unhealthy days
58%
Cleaner than US metros

St. Cloud, MN posted a 2025 median AQI of 37 (Good) with 75.6% Good days

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the St. Cloud, MN CBSA recorded a median AQI of 37 across 357 monitored days in 2025, with 75.6% rated Good and 3 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 St. Cloud, MN CBSA's 75.6% Good-day share places it cleaner than 58% of US metros in 2025.
Closest median-AQI peer
Alexandria, LA (73.7% Good, median AQI 37) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to St. Cloud, MN.
2020–2025 Good-day shift
St. Cloud, MN's Good-day share moved -7.1 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +1).
Median AQI
Median AQI: 37

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 357 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

St. Cloud, MN's median AQI 37 is in the lower (cleaner) CBSA tercile on this site. On the EPA scale the metro runs good, cleaner than the median US metro, with a median AQI of 37 and 75.6% of 357 monitored days in the Good band.

37
median AQI · Good
75.6%
days rated Good
58%
cleaner than US metros
165
worst single reading

3 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.

Annual release change

What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release

2024 → 2025
  • St. Cloud, MN metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 97 to 165 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +68 points.
  • St. Cloud, MN metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 3 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +3 days.

Compared against 366 monitored days in 2024 and 349 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

St. Cloud, MN's median AQI 37 is in the lower (cleaner) CBSA tercile on this site. Signature read: median AQI 37 (low tercile vs CBSA corpus). Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 37 over 357 measured days in 2025 (Good / Good). The monitored-day split lands at 270 Good (76%), 76 Moderate (21%), and 8 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (2%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 62; the highest single-day reading hit 165 (Unhealthy).

Across 2020–2025, Good-day share shifted -7.1 points and median AQI moved +1 (worsening). The annual record contains 3 days at Unhealthy or worse. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Alexandria, LA (73.7% good, AQI 37); Athens, TN (78.2% good, AQI 37); Bennington, VT (83.6% good, AQI 37).

Health effects of air pollution →

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

37

Good

Good Days

75.6%

270 of 357 days

Max AQI

165

Unhealthy

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 62

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 357 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

270

76%

Moderate

76

21%

USG

8

2%

Unhealthy

3

1%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The St. Cloud, MN metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 75.6% good air days. There were 3 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.

Air quality is acceptable most days, but 8 days reached "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" and peak AQI reached 165. Sensitive groups should monitor real-time conditions at AirNow.gov.

How does the St. Cloud, MN metro compare?

How St. Cloud, MN compares

Good-day share better than typical
St. Cloud, MN 75.6%
Alexandria, LA 73.7%
Typical US metro 70.6%
Median AQI better than typical
St. Cloud, MN 37
Alexandria, LA 37
Typical US metro 41
Unhealthy days / yr worse than typical
St. Cloud, MN 3
Alexandria, LA 0
Typical US metro 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the St. Cloud, MN metro. Highest Good-day share: 2020 (84.4%, 309 of 366 monitored days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 309 57 0 36
2021 261 95 2 40
2022 204 73 0 39
2023 199 152 3 48
2024 282 84 0 39
2025 270 76 3 37

Metros with a similar median AQI

CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near St. Cloud, MN (37).

Alexandria, LA

Median AQI 37 · 73.7% Good-day share

37

Athens, TN

Median AQI 37 · 78.2% Good-day share

37

Bennington, VT

Median AQI 37 · 83.6% Good-day share

37

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

Median AQI 37 · 94.4% Good-day share

37

Cadillac, MI

Median AQI 37 · 86.0% Good-day share

37

Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

Median AQI 37 · 91.5% Good-day share

37

Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure

A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to St. Cloud, MN's 3 (independent of median AQI).

Albuquerque, NM

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 61

61

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 54

54

Fresno, CA

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 61

61

Kansas City, MO-KS

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 51

51

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45

45

Rochester, MN

3 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 39

39

Frequently Asked Questions

What does AQI 37 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 37 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 many unhealthy air days does St. Cloud, MN have? ▼
In 2025, the St. Cloud, MN metro area recorded 3 unhealthy air days (3 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 165.
What is the air quality in the St. Cloud, MN metro area? ▼
The St. Cloud, MN metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 37, rated "Good." 75.6% of monitored days (270 out of 357) had good air quality in 2025.
Is air quality in St. Cloud, MN getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the St. Cloud, MN 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 84.4% (309 of 366 days). Lowest qualifying Good-day share: 2023 at 56.2% (199 of 354 days).
How does St. Cloud, MN compare to other metro areas? ▼
The St. Cloud, MN metro has 75.6% good air days. Similar metros: Alexandria, LA (73.7% good), Athens, TN (78.2% good), Bennington, VT (83.6% good).
What is the 90th percentile AQI for St. Cloud, MN? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the St. Cloud, MN metro area is 62, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 165 (Unhealthy).

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by CBSA dataset for St. Cloud, MN, 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, St. Cloud, MN · 2020–2025