State air quality · 2024

Puerto Rico Air Quality

Across 8 monitored counties, Puerto Rico averages a median AQI of 21 (Good) and 88.4% good-air days, from EPA AQS.

21
Avg median AQI
88.4%
Good-air days
8
Counties monitored
91%
Cleaner than US states

Verify with AirNow → · EPA AQS →

The verdict

According to EPA Air Quality System monitoring data, across 8 monitored counties, Puerto Rico averages a good median AQI of 21, among the cleanest 10% of US states, with 88.4% of days in the Good band, but the gap between Guayama and Catano County is the real story.

21
avg median AQI · Good
88.4%
days in the Good band
7/8
counties ≥75% Good days
91%
cleaner than other states

Cleanest: Guayama County (100.0% Good days). Most polluted: Catano County (64.6%).

Data updated July 2026

Puerto Rico: 8 monitored counties (2024), avg median AQI 21 (Good), 88.4% good-air days, 2 total unhealthy days (0.2%). Best: Guayama County (100.0%). Worst: Catano County (64.6%). Worst single reading: AQI 350. EPA AQS methodology + AQI interpretation →

A statewide average smooths over real differences between counties, so it should be read as a starting point rather than a verdict on any one place. Within almost every state, a handful of urban or wildfire-prone counties carry most of the unhealthy days while rural counties sit near the clean end of the scale, and the gap between the best and worst county is often wider than the gap between two neighboring states. Coverage matters too: the Environmental Protection Agency places monitors where population density, emission sources, or attainment status warrant them, so a state with few monitored counties is described by a thinner sample than one blanketed with stations. The figures here count only the days each monitor actually reported, which keeps lightly monitored and heavily monitored counties on comparable footing but cannot speak for the roughly two thousand U.S. counties that have no monitor at all. For a fuller picture, open the individual county profiles below and compare the primary pollutant, the share of Good days, and the five-year trend for the places that matter to you.

Counties Monitored

8

Avg Good Days %

88.4%

Avg Median AQI

21

Total Unhealthy Days

2

Best Air Quality

Guayama County

Worst Air Quality

Catano County

Which counties in Puerto Rico have the cleanest and most polluted air?

Cleanest counties in Puerto Rico

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

  1. 1 Guayama County 100%
  2. 2 Mayagnez County 96.9%
  3. 3 Caguas County 94.3%
  4. 4 Ponce County 90.9%
  5. 5 Bayamon County 88.5%
  6. 6 Guaynabo County 86%
  7. 7 Fajardo County 85.7%
  8. 8 Catano County 64.6%

Good-day share · EPA Air Quality System

County Good % Median AQI
Guayama 100.0% 18
Mayagnez 96.9% 12
Caguas 94.3% 3
Ponce 90.9% 5
Bayamon 88.5% 29
Guaynabo 86.0% 30
Fajardo 85.7% 29
Catano 64.6% 44

Reading Puerto Rico's air quality

A statewide average is a starting point, not a verdict, what matters is the county you actually breathe in.

  • Open your county's profile for its primary pollutant, Good-day share, and where it sits among 8 monitored counties. County profiles
  • Guayama County (100.0% Good days) and Catano County (64.6%) bracket the range, compare both before drawing a conclusion. See the cleanest
  • New to the scale? The AQI guide explains what a median of 21 means for sensitive groups. Understand AQI

Figures count only days each EPA monitor reported; roughly two thousand U.S. counties have no monitor and are not represented. Data: EPA AQS annual summaries, 2020–2025.

Explore Puerto Rico air quality

Dig into the cleanest and most-polluted counties, metro areas, and national rankings.

Air Quality Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the air quality in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has 8 counties with EPA air quality monitoring. The average median AQI across all monitored counties is 21, and 88.4% of monitored days have good air quality on average.
Which county in Puerto Rico has the best air quality?
Guayama County has the best air quality in Puerto Rico based on EPA AQS data. Counties are ranked by the percentage of monitored days with "Good" AQI (0-50).
Which county in Puerto Rico has the worst air quality?
Catano County has the worst air quality in Puerto Rico. The state recorded 2 total unhealthy air days across all 8 monitored counties.
How many counties in Puerto Rico have air quality monitors?
8 counties in Puerto Rico have active EPA Air Quality System (AQS) monitoring stations. Only counties with monitors are included in AQI data. Unmonitored counties are not represented.
How many unhealthy air days does Puerto Rico have?
Puerto Rico recorded 2 total unhealthy air days across all 8 monitored counties. These include days rated Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, or Hazardous on the EPA AQI scale.

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: 8 counties in Puerto Rico 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 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.

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