Metro area air quality · 2025
Topeka, KS
Median AQI 44 (Good). 64.1% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.
- 44
- Median AQI
- 64.1%
- Good-air days
- 2
- Unhealthy days
- 32%
- Cleaner than US metros
Topeka, KS posted a 2025 median AQI of 44 (Good) with 64.1% Good days
According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, the Topeka, KS CBSA recorded a median AQI of 44 across 365 monitored days in 2025, with 64.1% rated Good and 2 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 Topeka, KS CBSA's 64.1% Good-day share places it cleaner than 32% of US metros in 2025.
- Closest median-AQI peer
- Bartlesville, OK (68.0% Good, median AQI 44) is the closest nationwide median-AQI peer to Topeka, KS.
- 2020–2025 Good-day shift
- Topeka, KS's Good-day share moved +2.5 points from 2020 to 2025 (median AQI +0).
- Median AQI
- Median AQI: 44
Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 365 monitored days. EPA AQS →
The verdict
The Topeka, KS metro runs good on the EPA scale, more polluted than the median US metro, a median AQI of 44 with 64.1% of 365 monitored days in the Good band.
- 44
- median AQI · Good
- 64.1%
- days rated Good
- 32%
- cleaner than US metros
- 238
- worst single reading
2 days reached Unhealthy or worse across the metro's monitors in 2025.
Annual release change
What changed in the 2025 EPA annual release
- Topeka, KS metro's peak single-day AQI rose from 125 to 238 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +113 points.
- Topeka, KS metro's Good-day share fell from 67.4% to 64.8% between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of -2.6 percentage points.
- Topeka, KS metro's Unhealthy-category days rose from 0 to 1 between the 2024 and 2025 EPA annual releases, a change of +1 days.
Insights: Topeka, KS metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 44 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 234 Good days (64%), 126 Moderate (35%), and 3 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 61 while the highest single-day reading hit 238 (Very Unhealthy). Metro residents averaged roughly 19.2 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 +2.5 points and the median AQI moved +0 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as stable. The annual record contains 2 days at Unhealthy or worse. On those days, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Metros with comparable AQI profiles include Bartlesville, OK (68.0% good, AQI 44); Berlin, NH-VT (81.5% good, AQI 44); Bloomington, IL (66.0% good, AQI 44).
Air Quality Summary
Median AQI
44
Good
Good Days
64.1%
234 of 365 days
Max AQI
238
Very Unhealthy
Health Grade
Moderate
90th pct: 61
AQI Day Breakdown (2025)
Distribution of 365 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.
Good
234
64%
Moderate
126
35%
USG
3
1%
Unhealthy
1
0%
Very Unhealthy
1
0%
Hazardous
0
0%
Health Impact Assessment
The Topeka, KS metro area's air quality is rated Moderate based on 64.1% good air days. There were 2 unhealthy days in 2025 when outdoor activity should be limited.
Air quality reached unhealthy levels on 2 days in 2025 (1 Unhealthy, 1 Very Unhealthy). Sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular conditions, children, and adults over 65, should review the daily breakdown and follow local advisories.
Sensitive group advisory
People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, children, pregnant women, and adults 65+ should follow EPA AQI alerts daily and limit outdoor exertion when AQI exceeds 100. Real-time conditions: airnow.gov.
How does the Topeka, KS metro compare?
How Topeka, KS compares
5-Year Air Quality Trend
Air quality is stable in the Topeka, KS metro. Best year: 2024 (246 good days).
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Median AQI | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 227 | 135 | 2 | 44 | 169 |
| 2021 | 189 | 173 | 1 | 49 | 151 |
| 2022 | 220 | 130 | 0 | 44 | 87 |
| 2023 | 196 | 159 | 2 | 48 | 164 |
| 2024 | 246 | 119 | 0 | 45 | 125 |
| 2025 | 234 | 126 | 1 | 44 | 238 |
Metros with a similar median AQI
CBSA peers nationwide whose annual median AQI sits near Topeka, KS (44).
Bartlesville, OK
Median AQI 44 · 68.0% Good-day share
Berlin, NH-VT
Median AQI 44 · 81.5% Good-day share
Bloomington, IL
Median AQI 44 · 66.0% Good-day share
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Median AQI 44 · 71.0% Good-day share
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
Median AQI 44 · 64.7% Good-day share
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
Median AQI 44 · 63.8% Good-day share
Metros with similar unhealthy-day exposure
A second relationship type: metros whose unhealthy-or-worse day count is closest to Topeka, KS's 2 (independent of median AQI).
Ardmore, OK
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45
Chattanooga, TN-GA
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 49
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 56
Columbus, GA-AL
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 48
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 46
Fort Dodge, IA
2 unhealthy-or-worse days · median AQI 45
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 Topeka, KS metro area? ▼
How many unhealthy air days does Topeka, KS have? ▼
Is air quality in Topeka, KS getting better or worse? ▼
What does AQI 44 mean for health? ▼
What is the 90th percentile AQI for Topeka, KS? ▼
How does Topeka, KS compare to other metro areas? ▼
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.