What Is the Air Quality in Richmond, New York?

Richmond, New York 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 41. Sensitive groups will see occasional caution days, but the typical resident will not need to change behavior based on air quality.

Richmond, New York's 5-year median AQI of 41 is right around the national average of 41 across the 1,020 monitored U.S. cities tracked here. Within New York, Richmond, New York runs more polluted than the state average of 37 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.

For context within New York: Oneida, New York currently holds the state's cleanest grade (B, AQI 25), while Queens, New York sits at the bottom (C, AQI 46).

Air quality in Richmond, New York has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 1.0 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, Richmond, New York posted a median AQI of 48. By 2023 that figure was 42 — a drop of 6 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.

Across the past five years, this area has logged just 17 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 3 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 PM2.5 penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, an N95 or KN95 mask provides meaningful protection on smoky or high-particulate days — surgical masks do not.