Houston, Alabama Air Quality Today
AirHistory tracks long-run EPA monitoring rather than live readings, so for the live number check AirNow.gov below. As a baseline, Houston, Alabama's most recent EPA year (2019) posted a median AQI of 38 (Good) against a 5-year median of 38 and an overall Grade of B. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, which tells you which days are most likely to spike.
Check Today's Live AQI in Houston, Alabama
AirHistory is built on 10 years of EPA Air Quality System records, so it shows you what air quality in Houston, Alabama typically looks like — not the live reading for this exact hour. For today's real-time AQI, check AirNow.gov (the EPA's official live index) or the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map during wildfire season.
That said, the history is the best predictor of a normal day. In 2019, Houston, Alabama posted a median AQI of 38 (Good), with 230 "Good" days and 0 days that crossed into "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse. The dominant pollutant, Ground-Level Ozone, is the one most likely to push today's number up — Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days. Ozone irritates the lungs, triggers asthma attacks, and reduces lung function — even healthy adults can feel chest tightness and shortness of breath after exercising in elevated ozone.
Houston, Alabama Air Quality Snapshot
| Air Quality Grade | B70/100 |
| 5-Year Median AQI | 38 (Good) |
| Most Recent Median AQI (2019) | 38 (Good) |
| Dominant Pollutant | Ground-Level Ozone |
| 10-Year Trend | Improving (-0.34 AQI/yr) |
| Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr) | 0 |
| National Rank (cleanest = #1) | #374 of 1,020 (37th cleanest percentile) |
| Alabama Rank | #8 of 17 |
What Does the B Grade Mean?
Houston, Alabama earns a B — air quality is reliably in the safe range for most residents most of the time, with a 5-year median AQI of 38. Sensitive groups will see occasional caution days, but the typical resident will not need to change behavior based on air quality.
Houston, Alabama's 5-year median AQI of 38 is 3 points below the national average of 41 — meaningfully cleaner than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within Alabama, Houston, Alabama runs cleaner than the state average of 41 — a positive signal that local conditions (terrain, wind patterns, emission sources) are working in residents' favor.
For context within Alabama: Tuscaloosa, Alabama currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 37), while Madison, Alabama sits at the bottom (C, AQI 48).
What's in Houston, Alabama's Air?
The dominant pollutant in Houston, Alabama is Ground-Level Ozone. Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days. Ozone irritates the lungs, triggers asthma attacks, and reduces lung function — even healthy adults can feel chest tightness and shortness of breath after exercising in elevated ozone.
Days by Dominant Pollutant (2019)
| Pollutant | Days as Dominant | Share of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-Level Ozone | 181 | 65% |
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 99 | 35% |
Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?
Air quality in Houston, Alabama has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 0.3 points per year. That is consistent with the broader national pattern — most U.S. metros have seen steady reductions in particulate and ozone pollution since the 2010s as cleaner vehicles and power plants come online.
In 2014, Houston, Alabama posted a median AQI of 41. By 2019 that figure was 38 — a drop of 3 AQI points cleaner across 6 years of EPA records.
Year-by-Year AQI in Houston, Alabama
| Year | Median AQI | Good Days | Unhealthy Days | Dominant Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 41 | 227 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2015 | 36 | 241 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2016 | 37 | 242 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2017 | 37 | 237 | 1 | Ozone |
| 2018 | 37 | 230 | 0 | Ozone |
| 2019 | 38 | 230 | 0 | Ozone |
Health Context for Houston, Alabama
Across the past five years, this area has logged just 0 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 0 days per year, or roughly one every other month. That is a low count by national standards.
For most healthy adults, current air quality in this area does not require any change in behavior. People with severe asthma, COPD, or recent cardiac events should still keep an eye on daily AQI alerts, especially during wildfire season. Because ozone peaks in the afternoon on hot sunny days, plan outdoor exercise for early morning or after sunset on bad-air days.
How This Grade Is Calculated
The AirHistory Air Quality Grade combines four signals: the 5-year median AQI (40% of the score), the 10-year trend direction (30%), the count of unhealthy days per year (20%), and the dominant pollutant type (10%). All four come directly from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which aggregates readings from federally certified monitors. Read the full methodology.
More about Houston, Alabama
Houston, Alabama has an Air Quality Grade of B (good) with a 5-year median AQI of 38. The dominant pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, and air quality has been improving over the past decade.
The data source behind this answer is the EPA Air Quality System (AQS). Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.