Metro area air quality · 2025

Syracuse, NY

Median AQI 39 (Good). 79.5% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

39
Median AQI
79.5%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
61%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 273 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Syracuse, NY metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 39 with 79.5% of 273 monitored days in the Good band.

39
median AQI · Good
79.5%
days rated Good
61%
cleaner than US metros
125
worst single reading

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

Insights: Syracuse, NY metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 39 over 273 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 217 Good days (79%), 52 Moderate (19%), and 4 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 58 while the highest single-day reading hit 125 (USG). Metro residents averaged roughly 23.8 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -84 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 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

79.5%

217 of 273 days

Max AQI

125

USG

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 58

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 273 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

217

79%

Moderate

52

19%

USG

4

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Syracuse, NY metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 79.5% 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 Syracuse, NY metro compare?

How Syracuse, NY compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Syracuse, NY 79.5%
Beaver Dam, WI 76.4%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Syracuse, NY 39
Beaver Dam, WI 39
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Syracuse, NY 0
Beaver Dam, WI 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is stable in the Syracuse, NY metro. Best year: 2024 (318 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 301 65 0 38
2021 277 87 0 41
2022 316 49 0 38
2023 276 80 3 40
2024 318 48 0 36
2025 217 52 0 39

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Syracuse, NY.

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 Syracuse, NY metro area? ▼
The Syracuse, NY metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 39, rated "Good." 79.5% of monitored days (217 out of 273) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Syracuse, NY have? ▼
In 2025, the Syracuse, NY metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 125.
Is air quality in Syracuse, NY getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Syracuse, NY metro is stable based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 318 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 217 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 Syracuse, NY? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Syracuse, NY metro area is 58, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 125 (USG).
How does Syracuse, NY compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Syracuse, NY metro has 79.5% 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.