State air quality · 2025

New York Air Quality Ranking

Across 27 monitored counties, the typical county in New York posts a median AQI of 37 (Good) and 81.3% of monitored days were rated Good, from EPA AQS.

37
Avg median AQI
81.3%
Good-air days
27
Counties monitored
71%
Cleaner than US states

New York's typical county median AQI is 37 (Good) across 27 monitored counties

According to the U.S. EPA Air Quality System, New York monitors 27 counties with a day-weighted Good-day share of 81.3%. Cleanest: Oswego County (97.3% Good). Most polluted: New York County (50.1%). These are annual summaries, not live AirNow readings.

Data source EPA Air Quality System (AQS)

Cleaner than US states
New York's day-weighted Good-day share of 81.3% places it cleaner than 71% of US states.
In-state spread
Within New York, Oswego County leads at 97.3% Good days while New York County sits at 50.1% across 27 monitored counties.
2024→2025 release
New York's Good-day share moved -2.4 points vs the 2024 EPA annual release.
Typical median AQI
Typical median AQI: 37

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

EPA state monitoring brief

AQS state key NEW-YORK

New York · 2025 EPA AQS · 27 counties · med AQI 37 · 81.3% Good · Oswego→New York spread

  • GOOD 37 Median AQI · Good
  • SHARE 81.3% Good-day share
  • COUNT 27 Counties monitored
  • UNH 4 Unhealthy+ days
  • RANK 71% Cleaner than states
  • O3 62.9% Main pollutant share

Good-day share peers

Maryland81.8%New York (this)81.3%North Carolina81%South Dakota80.8%
Good-day share neighbourhood · nearest ABS peers vs New York

New York's 81.3% Good-day share is cleaner than 71% of monitored US states; Oswego and New York County bracket the in-state range. Open Oswego County →

According to EPA AQS annual summaries on PlainAirData, New York ranks #15 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (81.3%) and #16 by mean county median AQI (36.9). Hawaii is #1 of 52 by day-weighted good-day share (93.8% of monitored days) at mean county median-AQI #4 (27.3) ≠ Alaska #1 lowest mean county median AQI (20.3) at good-day share #8 (84.4%).

Data updated August 2026

What changed, what drives it, and how thick is the sample

Three derived views WPR-style word count does not substitute for: release-over-release movement from county annual rows, the EPA main-pollutant day mix, and how many counties sit below the 100-day ranking floor.

Release change

81.3%

Good-day share in 2025, down 2.4 percentage points vs 2024. County-mean median AQI 37, 1.0 points higher (worse) than 2024.

Pollutant mix

Ozone

Main driver on 62.9% of pollutant-assigned days.

  • Ozone 62.9%
  • PM2.5 36.4%
  • NO2 0.7%

Monitoring coverage

358

Average monitored days per county in the latest release. Every monitored county clears the 100-day ranking floor.

Counties Monitored

27

Good Days %

81.3%

Avg Median AQI

37

Total Unhealthy Days

4

Best Air Quality

Oswego County

Worst Air Quality

New York County

Where New York sits nationally

COUNT-derived placement among 52 US states with at least 365 monitored days in the latest county release. New York's day-weighted Good-day share is 81.3% - cleaner than 71% of that comparison set.

New York Good-day share vs. every US state

Day-weighted share of monitored days in the Good band (AQI 0–50) - EPA AQS annual release

81.3% Cleaner than 71% higher than 71% of 52 US states

0.0%–5.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 5.0%–10.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 10.0%–15.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 15.0%–20.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 20.0%–25.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 25.0%–30.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 30.0%–35.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 35.0%–40.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 40.0%–45.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 45.0%–50.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 50.0%–55.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 55.0%–60.0%: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 60.0%–65.0%: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 65.0%–70.0%: 9 US states (17%). Below this entry. 70.0%–75.0%: 11 US states (21%). Below this entry. 75.0%–80.0%: 11 US states (21%). Below this entry. 80.0%–85.0%: 13 US states (25%). This entry sits in this band. 85.0%–90.0%: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 90.0%–95.0%: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 95.0%–100.0%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 100.0%–105.0%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 0.0% 100% every floor-qualified US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (AQS) · 2025

Which counties in New York have the cleanest and most polluted air?

Cleanest counties in New York

Share of monitored days rated Good (AQI 0–50)

  1. 1 Oswego County 97.3%
  2. 2 Hamilton County 97.2%
  3. 3 Saratoga County 96.3%
  4. 4 Wayne County 95.8%
  5. 5 Jefferson County 94.7%
  6. 6 Putnam County 94.2%
  7. 7 Dutchess County 94%
  8. 8 Tompkins County 93.2%
  9. 9 Niagara County 92.9%
  10. 10 Chautauqua County 89%
  11. 11 Orange County 86.9%
  12. 12 Rockland County 85.5%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Oswego 97.3% 34
Hamilton 97.2% 34
Saratoga 96.3% 34
Wayne 95.8% 33
Jefferson 94.7% 34
Putnam 94.2% 33
Dutchess 94.0% 34
Tompkins 93.2% 35
Niagara 92.9% 34
Chautauqua 89.0% 36
Orange 86.9% 27
Rockland 85.5% 37
Oneida 84.4% 27
Essex 83.8% 41
Steuben 83.3% 38
Onondaga 83.2% 36
Westchester 82.5% 38
Nassau 78.8% 29
Monroe 74.3% 39
Richmond 74.0% 41
Suffolk 72.6% 41
Albany 68.5% 39
Erie 63.8% 44
Kings 63.8% 39
Queens 63.6% 44
Bronx 59.2% 45
New York 50.1% 50

Data Sources

Primary Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Quality System (AQS), Annual AQI by County dataset, 2020–2025. See our methodology for how AQI and median figures are computed.

Coverage: 27 counties in New York with active monitoring stations. Unmonitored counties are not represented.

Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by county summary files, aggregated to the state level · 2020–2025

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.

Informational only, not professional advice. Data from EPA AQS. See our disclaimer.