Air Quality in New York

New York earns an average Air Quality Grade of B, with a 5-year median AQI of 37 across 29 monitored areas — 4 points below the national average of 41. The grade combines four signals — 5-year median AQI, 10-year trend direction, count of unhealthy days per year, and dominant pollutant — into a single A-F score. New York's 29 monitored areas collectively logged 282 days at "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse over the last five years.

New York is on a clear improving trajectory: 15 of 29 monitored areas are showing measurably cleaner air over the past decade, versus only 6 that are getting worse. That mirrors the broader national pattern of falling particulate and ozone pollution as cleaner vehicles, cleaner power generation, and tighter industrial standards take effect.

The dominant pollutant across 19 of 29 New York areas is Ground-Level Ozone. Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with vehicle and industrial emissions. It is worst on hot, sunny, stagnant summer days. Ozone irritates the lungs and triggers asthma — even healthy adults can feel it after exercising on high-ozone days. Other monitored areas in the state report Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) (10) as their dominant pollutant.

Within New York, the gap between best and worst is meaningful: Oneida, New York tops the state with a Grade B and 5-year median AQI of 25, while Queens, New York sits at the bottom with a Grade C and 5-year median AQI of 46. Local terrain, prevailing winds, and proximity to industrial or wildfire emission sources drive most of that within-state variation.

New York, New York is the fastest-improving area in New York, with median AQI falling by 1.2 points per year over the EPA reporting period. Steady improvement at that pace usually reflects fleet turnover (older diesels retiring), upwind power-plant retirements, and tighter local emissions controls.