What Is the Air Quality in Ponce, Puerto Rico?
Ponce, Puerto Rico has an Air Quality Grade of B (good) with a 5-year median AQI of 29. The dominant pollutant is Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10), and air quality has been stable over the past decade.
Ponce, Puerto Rico Air Quality Snapshot
| Air Quality Grade | B70/100 |
| 5-Year Median AQI | 29 (Good) |
| Most Recent Median AQI (2023) | 30 (Good) |
| Dominant Pollutant | Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) |
| 10-Year Trend | Stable (+0.22 AQI/yr) |
| Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr) | 10 |
| National Rank (cleanest = #1) | #121 of 1,020 (12th cleanest percentile) |
| Puerto Rico Rank | #8 of 11 |
What Does the B Grade Mean?
Ponce, Puerto Rico 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 29. Sensitive groups will see occasional caution days, but the typical resident will not need to change behavior based on air quality.
Ponce, Puerto Rico's 5-year median AQI of 29 is 12 points below the national average of 41 — meaningfully cleaner than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico runs more polluted than the state average of 23 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.
For context within Puerto Rico: Caguas, Puerto Rico currently holds the state's cleanest grade (A, AQI 10), while Catano, Puerto Rico sits at the bottom (D, AQI 42).
What's in Ponce, Puerto Rico's Air?
The dominant pollutant in Ponce, Puerto Rico is Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10). Coarse particulate matter — particles up to 10 micrometers across — typically comes from dust, construction sites, agriculture, unpaved roads, and natural sources like windblown soil. PM10 is less hazardous than PM2.5 because the larger particles do not penetrate as deeply into the lungs, but high levels still aggravate asthma and irritate airways.
Days by Dominant Pollutant (2023)
| Pollutant | Days as Dominant | Share of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) | 192 | 56% |
| Carbon Monoxide | 93 | 27% |
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 55 | 16% |
Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?
Air quality in Ponce, Puerto Rico 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, Ponce, Puerto Rico posted a median AQI of 20. By 2023 that figure was 30 — a rise of 10 AQI points dirtier across 10 years of EPA records.
Year-by-Year AQI in Ponce, Puerto Rico
| Year | Median AQI | Good Days | Unhealthy Days | Dominant Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 20 | 314 | 0 | PM10 |
| 2015 | 24 | 328 | 0 | PM10 |
| 2016 | 25 | 331 | 0 | PM10 |
| 2017 | 31 | 194 | 1 | PM10 |
| 2018 | 55 | 146 | 5 | PM2.5 |
| 2019 | 43 | 204 | 6 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 23 | 319 | 0 | PM10 |
| 2021 | 30 | 176 | 4 | PM10 |
| 2022 | 18 | 264 | 0 | CO |
| 2023 | 30 | 258 | 0 | PM10 |
Health Context for Ponce, Puerto Rico
Across the past five years, this area has logged just 10 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 2 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. PM10 is largely a near-source pollutant — staying upwind of busy roads, construction, and unpaved areas can substantially reduce exposure.
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.
Ponce, Puerto Rico has an Air Quality Grade of B (good) with a 5-year median AQI of 29. The dominant pollutant is Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10), and air quality has been stable 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.
A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.
Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.