Metro area air quality · 2025

Tuscaloosa, AL

Median AQI 41 (Good). 76.5% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

41
Median AQI
76.5%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
55%
Cleaner than US metros

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

The verdict

The Tuscaloosa, AL metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 41 with 76.5% of 243 monitored days in the Good band.

41
median AQI · Good
76.5%
days rated Good
55%
cleaner than US metros
93
worst single reading

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

Insights: Tuscaloosa, AL metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 41 over 243 measured days in 2025, which corresponds to a Good band and a Good metro-wide health grade. The monitored-day split lands at 186 Good days (77%), 57 Moderate (23%), and 0 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (0%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 54 while the highest single-day reading hit 93 (Moderate). Metro residents averaged roughly 23.0 clean-air days per 30-day window across the reporting year.

Across the 2020–2025 trend window, good days shifted by -61 and the median AQI moved +7 points, which classifies the multi-year trajectory as worsening. 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 Adrian, MI (77.3% good, AQI 41); Altoona, PA (71.9% good, AQI 41); Ann Arbor, MI (76.0% good, AQI 41).

Air Quality Summary

Median AQI

41

Good

Good Days

76.5%

186 of 243 days

Max AQI

93

Moderate

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 54

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 243 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

186

77%

Moderate

57

23%

USG

0

0%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Tuscaloosa, AL metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 76.5% 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 Tuscaloosa, AL metro compare?

How Tuscaloosa, AL compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Tuscaloosa, AL 76.5%
Adrian, MI 77.3%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI about average
Tuscaloosa, AL 41
Adrian, MI 41
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Tuscaloosa, AL 0
Adrian, MI 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Tuscaloosa, AL metro. Best year: 2024 (318 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 247 31 0 34
2021 246 34 0 34
2022 240 40 0 37
2023 255 110 0 42
2024 318 39 0 37
2025 186 57 0 41

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Tuscaloosa, AL.

Adrian, MI

AQI 41 · 77.3% good

41

Altoona, PA

AQI 41 · 71.9% good

41

Ann Arbor, MI

AQI 41 · 76.0% good

41

Bowling Green, KY

AQI 41 · 81.2% good

41

Charlottesville, VA

AQI 41 · 77.9% good

41

Clarksville, TN-KY

AQI 41 · 76.8% good

41

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 Tuscaloosa, AL metro area? ▼
The Tuscaloosa, AL metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 41, rated "Good." 76.5% of monitored days (186 out of 243) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Tuscaloosa, AL have? ▼
In 2025, the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 93.
Is air quality in Tuscaloosa, AL getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Tuscaloosa, AL metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2024 with 318 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 186 good days.
What does AQI 41 mean for health? ▼
An AQI of 41 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 Tuscaloosa, AL? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area is 54, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 93 (Moderate).
How does Tuscaloosa, AL compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Tuscaloosa, AL metro has 76.5% good air days. Similar metros: Adrian, MI (77.3% good), Altoona, PA (71.9% good), Ann Arbor, MI (76.0% 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.