Kauai, Hawaii Air Quality
Kauai County, Hawaii (HI)
↓ Improvingover 9 years
How Kauai, Hawaii Air Quality Compares
Kauai, Hawaii's median AQI of 13is 68% better than the national average of 41. Air quality has improved by 10 AQI points over the past decade. The area rarely experiences unhealthy air quality days. The primary pollutant of concern is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).
10-Year AQI Trend
The solid line shows the median AQI each year. The dashed line shows the 90th percentile (worst 10% of days). This area has seen measurable air quality improvement over the decade.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 | 26 | 38 | 90 | 0 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 17 | 29 | 47 | 364 | 0 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 15 | 32 | 52 | 361 | 4 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2019 | 16 | 31 | 70 | 361 | 2 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2018 | 18 | 34 | 56 | 350 | 5 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2017 | 15 | 35 | 59 | 353 | 6 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2016 | 17 | 36 | 59 | 352 | 6 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2015 | 17 | 41 | 59 | 348 | 14 | 0 | PM2.5 |
| 2014 | 23 | 42 | 61 | 322 | 19 | 0 | PM2.5 |
What This Means for Kauai County Residents
Kauai, Hawaii has received an Air Quality Grade of A (82/100) based on a decade of monitoring data from the EPA's air quality monitoring program. The current median AQI of 13 falls in the "Good" range.
Encouragingly, air quality here has been improving, with the median AQI dropping by 10 points over the monitoring period. This trend suggests continued investment in emission controls and cleaner energy.
The primary pollutant affecting this area is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). Over the past 5 years, this area has averaged 0 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kauai, Hawaii has a current median AQI of 13, which falls in the "Good" range. The area has received an Air Quality Grade of A (82/100) based on 10 years of EPA monitoring data.
Air quality in Kauai, Hawaii is improving over the past decade. The median AQI has changed by -10 points from 2014 to 2022.
Kauai, Hawaii averages 0 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 Kauai, Hawaii is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). This is the dominant contributor to elevated AQI readings in the Kauai County area.
Kauai, Hawaii averages 0 unhealthy air days per year. This is relatively low, making it a reasonable choice for asthma sufferers. The primary pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), which is a known asthma trigger.
With a median AQI of 13 (Good), outdoor exercise in Kauai, Hawaii is generally safe year-round. Kauai, Hawaii averages 0 days per year when athletes should move workouts indoors.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. air quality and pollution monitoring dataset. The detail above comes directly from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS); the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. counties and states.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. counties and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.