What Is the Air Quality in Nevada, California?

Nevada, California earns a C — air quality is fair, but not great. With a 5-year median AQI of 47, the city sees a meaningful number of "Moderate" days each year, when the EPA flags air as a concern for unusually sensitive people.

Nevada, California's 5-year median AQI of 47 is 6 points above the national average of 41 — meaningfully more polluted than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within California, Nevada, California runs cleaner than the state average of 49 — a positive signal that local conditions (terrain, wind patterns, emission sources) are working in residents' favor.

For context within California: Humboldt, California currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 28), while Inyo, California sits at the bottom (F, AQI 57).

Air quality in Nevada, California has held roughly steady over the past decade, with year-to-year shifts in median AQI of less than half a point. That stability makes the city's long-run grade a reliable signal of what residents can expect day-to-day.

In 2014, Nevada, California posted a median AQI of 47. By 2023 that figure was 42 — a drop of 5 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.

Across the past five years, this area has logged 109 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 22 days per year, or roughly one every five to seven days. That is well above the national norm and explains the C grade.

Healthy adults can continue normal outdoor activity in most weather, but should pay attention to AQI alerts during the worst pollution windows. People with asthma, heart disease, or pregnancy should reduce prolonged or intense outdoor exertion on flagged days, and consider running an indoor HEPA air cleaner during peak season. Because ozone peaks in the afternoon on hot sunny days, plan outdoor exercise for early morning or after sunset on bad-air days.