What Is the Air Quality in Pinal, Arizona?

Pinal, Arizona earns a D — air quality falls below the U.S. average, with a 5-year median AQI of 66. Residents with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or young children should watch daily AQI forecasts and limit outdoor exertion when alerts go out.

Pinal, Arizona's 5-year median AQI of 66 is 25 points above the national average of 41 — meaningfully more polluted than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within Arizona, Pinal, Arizona runs more polluted than the state average of 46 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.

For context within Arizona: Apache, Arizona currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 13), while Maricopa, Arizona sits at the bottom (F, AQI 90).

Air quality in Pinal, Arizona has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 0.6 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, Pinal, Arizona posted a median AQI of 72. By 2023 that figure was 64 — a drop of 8 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.

Across the past five years, this area has logged 251 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 50 days per year, or roughly one in three days on the calendar. That count places this area in the worst tier nationally and is the dominant driver of the D grade.

Treat daily AQI forecasts as essential input. On flagged days, sensitive groups (asthma, COPD, heart disease, pregnancy, young children, older adults) should limit outdoor exertion and keep windows closed. A HEPA air cleaner sized to a bedroom or family room can cut indoor PM2.5 by 80%+ during smoke or pollution events. PM10 is largely a near-source pollutant — staying upwind of busy roads, construction, and unpaved areas can substantially reduce exposure.