Essex, Massachusetts Air Quality
Essex County, Massachusetts (MA)
→ Stableover 10 years
How Essex, Massachusetts Air Quality Compares
Essex, Massachusetts's median AQI of 44is 7% worse than the national average of 41. The area averages 2 unhealthy air days per year. The primary pollutant of concern is Ground-Level Ozone.
10-Year AQI Trend
The solid line shows the median AQI each year. The dashed line shows the 90th percentile (worst 10% of days).
Air Quality Day Breakdown
Number of days per year in each EPA AQI category. Green = Good (AQI 0-50), Yellow = Moderate (51-100), Orange = Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Red = Unhealthy or worse (151+).
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Median AQI | 90th Pct | Max AQI | Good Days | Moderate | Unhealthy+ | Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 44 | 60 | 105 | 243 | 120 | 2 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 41 | 58 | 113 | 276 | 84 | 5 | Ozone |
| 2021 | 38 | 56 | 129 | 285 | 79 | 1 | Ozone |
| 2020 | 40 | 56 | 97 | 282 | 84 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2019 | 41 | 55 | 122 | 288 | 75 | 1 | Ozone |
| 2018 | 42 | 59 | 115 | 263 | 98 | 4 | PM2.5 |
| 2017 | 40 | 58 | 136 | 285 | 77 | 3 | Ozone |
| 2016 | 39 | 58 | 105 | 295 | 68 | 3 | Ozone |
| 2015 | 41 | 61 | 122 | 255 | 107 | 3 | Ozone |
| 2014 | 43 | 61 | 108 | 244 | 120 | 1 | PM2.5 |
What This Means for Essex County Residents
Essex, Massachusetts has received an Air Quality Grade of B (65/100) based on a decade of monitoring data from the EPA's air quality monitoring program. The current median AQI of 44 falls in the "Good" range.
The primary pollutant affecting this area is Ground-Level Ozone. Over the past 5 years, this area has averaged 2 unhealthy air quality days per year, days when sensitive groups (children, elderly, those with respiratory conditions) should limit outdoor activity. The American Lung Association's State of the Air report provides additional context on long-term health risks from air pollution exposure.
Related Cities in Massachusetts
AQI: 37 · Grade: B
AQI: 41 · Grade: B
AQI: 42 · Grade: B
AQI: 38 · Grade: C
AQI: 43 · Grade: C
AQI: 46 · Grade: C
AQI: 38 · Grade: B
AQI: 39 · Grade: C
Frequently Asked Questions
Essex, Massachusetts has a current median AQI of 44, which falls in the "Good" range. The area has received an Air Quality Grade of B (65/100) based on 10 years of EPA monitoring data.
Air quality in Essex, Massachusetts is stable over the past decade. The median AQI has changed by +1 points from 2014 to 2023.
Essex, Massachusetts averages 2 unhealthy air quality days per year over the past 5 years. On these days, sensitive groups including children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions should limit outdoor activity.
The primary pollutant affecting Essex, Massachusetts is Ground-Level Ozone. This is the dominant contributor to elevated AQI readings in the Essex County area.
Essex, Massachusetts averages 2 unhealthy air days per year. This is relatively low, making it a reasonable choice for asthma sufferers. The primary pollutant is Ground-Level Ozone, which is a known asthma trigger.
With a median AQI of 44 (Good), outdoor exercise in Essex, Massachusetts is generally safe year-round. Essex, Massachusetts averages 2 days per year when athletes should move workouts indoors.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS). The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the EPA Air Quality System (AQS); the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. counties and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.