Metro area air quality · 2025

Wilmington, NC

Median AQI 41 (Good). 76.6% of monitored days rated Good across this metro's EPA monitoring network.

41
Median AQI
76.6%
Good-air days
0
Unhealthy days
55%
Cleaner than US metros

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

The verdict

The Wilmington, NC metro runs good on the EPA scale, cleaner than the median US metro, a median AQI of 41 with 76.6% of 273 monitored days in the Good band.

41
median AQI · Good
76.6%
days rated Good
55%
cleaner than US metros
121
worst single reading

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

Insights: Wilmington, NC metro. Aggregated EPA AQS monitors across this Core-Based Statistical Area logged a median Air Quality Index of 41 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 209 Good days (77%), 62 Moderate (23%), and 2 Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups (1%). The 90th-percentile AQI finished at 55 while the highest single-day reading hit 121 (USG). 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 -119 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

76.6%

209 of 273 days

Max AQI

121

USG

Health Grade

Good

90th pct: 55

AQI Day Breakdown (2025)

Distribution of 273 monitored days across EPA AQI categories.

Good

209

77%

Moderate

62

23%

USG

2

1%

Unhealthy

0

0%

Very Unhealthy

0

0%

Hazardous

0

0%

Health Impact Assessment

Good

The Wilmington, NC metro area's air quality is rated Good based on 76.6% 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 Wilmington, NC metro compare?

How Wilmington, NC compares

Good-day share better than US avg
Wilmington, NC 76.6%
Adrian, MI 77.3%
US average 71.3%
Median AQI about average
Wilmington, NC 41
Adrian, MI 41
US average 41
Unhealthy days / yr better than US avg
Wilmington, NC 0
Adrian, MI 0
US average 1

5-Year Air Quality Trend

Air quality is worsening in the Wilmington, NC metro. Best year: 2020 (328 good days).

Year Good Moderate Unhealthy Median AQI
2020 328 29 0 34
2021 286 74 0 40
2022 268 93 0 42
2023 237 124 0 44
2024 293 70 0 39
2025 209 62 0 41

Metros with Similar Air Quality

Metro areas across the US with a similar median AQI to Wilmington, NC.

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 Wilmington, NC metro area? ▼
The Wilmington, NC metro area has a median Air Quality Index (AQI) of 41, rated "Good." 76.6% of monitored days (209 out of 273) had good air quality in 2025.
How many unhealthy air days does Wilmington, NC have? ▼
In 2025, the Wilmington, NC metro area recorded 0 unhealthy air days (0 Unhealthy, 0 Very Unhealthy, 0 Hazardous). The maximum AQI reached 121.
Is air quality in Wilmington, NC getting better or worse? ▼
Air quality in the Wilmington, NC metro is worsening based on 5-year trends (2020-2025). Best year: 2020 with 328 good days. Worst year: 2025 with 209 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 Wilmington, NC? ▼
The 90th percentile AQI for the Wilmington, NC metro area is 55, meaning 90% of monitored days had an AQI at or below this level. The maximum AQI recorded was 121 (USG).
How does Wilmington, NC compare to other metro areas? ▼
The Wilmington, NC metro has 76.6% 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.