Metro area air quality · 2025

Traverse City, MI

Median AQI 35 (Good). 91.1% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

35
Median AQI
91.1%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
85%
Cleaner than US metros

Aggregated from EPA Air Quality System (2025), 214 monitored days. EPA AQS →

The verdict

The Traverse City, MI metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than most US metros, a median AQI of 35 with 91.1% of 214 monitored days in the Good band.

35
median AQI · Good
91.1%
days rated Good
85%
cleaner than US metros
80
worst single reading

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

Insights: Traverse City, MI metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 35 over 214 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Excellent metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 195 Good days (91%), 19 Moderate (9%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 50 while the highest single-day reading hit 80 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 27.3 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -49 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 Alexandria, LA (79.0% good, AQI 35); Arkadelphia, AR (97.5% good, AQI 35); East Stroudsburg, PA (93.3% good, AQI 35).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

35

Good

Good Days

91.1%

195 of 214 days

Max AQI

80

Moderate

Health Grade

Excellent

90th pct: 50

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 214 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

195

91%

Moderate

19

9%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Excellent

The Traverse City, MI metro area's air quality is rated Excellent based on 91.1% 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 Traverse City, MI metro compare?

How Traverse City, MI compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Traverse City, MI 91.1%
Alexandria, LA 79.0%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI better than US avg
Traverse City, MI 35
Alexandria, LA 35
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Traverse City, MI 0
Alexandria, LA 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is stable in the Traverse City, MI metro. Best year: 2020 (244 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 244 16 1 36
2021 222 29 0 36
2022 218 22 1 36
2023 198 37 1 38
2024 216 27 0 38
2025 195 19 0 35

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Traverse City, MI.

Alexandria, LA

AQI 35 · 79.0% good

35

Arkadelphia, AR

AQI 35 · 97.5% good

35

East Stroudsburg, PA

AQI 35 · 93.3% good

35

Effingham, IL

AQI 35 · 95.7% good

35

Lewiston-Auburn, ME

AQI 35 · 85.5% good

35

Meridian, MS

AQI 35 · 94.8% good

35

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 Traverse City, MI metro area? ▼
The Traverse City, MI metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 35, rated "Good." 91.1% of monitored days (195 out of 214) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Traverse City, MI have? ▼
In 2025, the Traverse City, MI metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 80.
Is air quality in Traverse City, MI getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Traverse City, MI metro is stable based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2020 with 244 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 195 good days.
What does AQI 35 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 35 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 Traverse City, MI? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Traverse City, MI metro area is 50, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 80 (Moderate).
How does Traverse City, MI compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Traverse City, MI metro has 91.1% good air days. Similar metros: Alexandria, LA (79.0% good), Arkadelphia, AR (97.5% good), East Stroudsburg, PA (93.3% 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.