Phoenix Air Quality in 2025
In 2025, Phoenix's air quality (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ area) had a median daily AQI of 78 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 56 days (15.3%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 24 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 1215 (Hazardous). Coarse dust (PM10) set the daily AQI on 148 of those days. The cleanest month of 2025 was October (median AQI 64, 1 day above 100) and the worst was May (median 97, 12 days above 100, peak 126).
- Good: 6.6%
- Moderate: 78.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 11.8%
- Unhealthy or worse: 3.6%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Phoenix
Today's main pollutant in Phoenix is ground-level ozone (AQI 47). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
How was Phoenix's air quality in 2025?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 78, with 56 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 2nd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2025: 1215 (Hazardous).
- ✓Coarse dust (PM10) was the main pollutant on 148 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst: May.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Phoenix in 2025?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Phoenix's (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ) median daily AQI for 2025 at 78, which is Moderate. 56 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 1215.
Which month had the worst air quality in Phoenix in 2025?▾
The cleanest month of 2025 was October (median AQI 64, 1 day above 100) and the worst was May (median 97, 12 days above 100, peak 126).
Was 2025 a good or bad year for Phoenix's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2025 ranks 2nd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2025's median of 78 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 79.
Phoenix month by month in 2025
Phoenix air quality month by month, 2025 (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 84 | 5 | 1215 | PM10 |
| February | 28 | 78 | 3 | 109 | PM10 |
| March | 31 | 67 | 3 | 579 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 79 | 6 | 763 | O3 |
| Mayworst | 31 | 97 | 12 | 126 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 87 | 7 | 119 | O3 |
| July | 31 | 77 | 2 | 212 | O3 |
| August | 31 | 89 | 10 | 647 | O3 |
| September | 30 | 64 | 5 | 329 | PM10 |
| Octobercleanest | 31 | 64 | 1 | 123 | PM10 |
| November | 30 | 74 | 1 | 139 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 77 | 1 | 102 | PM2.5 |
How 2025 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2025 ranks 2nd cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2025's median of 78 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 79.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Phoenix
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Phoenix's AQI at 47 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Phoenix air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.