What Is the Air Quality in Tulare, California?

Tulare, California earns a D — air quality falls below the U.S. average, with a 5-year median AQI of 75. Residents with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or young children should watch daily AQI forecasts and limit outdoor exertion when alerts go out.

Tulare, California's 5-year median AQI of 75 is 34 points above the national average of 41 — meaningfully more polluted than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within California, Tulare, California runs more polluted than the state average of 49 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.

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 Tulare, California has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 0.9 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, Tulare, California posted a median AQI of 84. By 2023 that figure was 69 — a drop of 15 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.

Across the past five years, this area has logged 546 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 109 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. Because ozone peaks in the afternoon on hot sunny days, plan outdoor exercise for early morning or after sunset on bad-air days.