Charlotte Air Quality in 2024

In 2024, Charlotte's air quality (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area) had a median daily AQI of 53 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 5 days (1.4%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 152 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 156 (Unhealthy). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 223 of those days. The cleanest month of 2024 was January (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 55, 3 days above 100, peak 156).

53
Median AQI
Moderate
5
Days above AQI 100
1.4% of 366 days
74
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
156
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
223 of 366 days
152
Good days
41.5% of days
  • Good: 41.5%
  • Moderate: 57.1%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.1%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.3%

Extra Protection for Charlotte Homes

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Charlotte's air quality in 2024?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 53, with 5 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 5th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2024: 156 (Unhealthy).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 223 days.
  • Cleanest month: January; worst: August.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Charlotte in 2024?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Charlotte's (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC) median daily AQI for 2024 at 53, which is Moderate. 5 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 156.

Which month had the worst air quality in Charlotte in 2024?

The cleanest month of 2024 was January (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 55, 3 days above 100, peak 156).

Was 2024 a good or bad year for Charlotte's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 5th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2024's median of 53 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.

Charlotte month by month in 2024

Charlotte air quality month by month, 2024 (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
Januarycleanest3142066PM2.5
February2951080PM2.5
March31530100O3
April3055097O3
May3154084O3
June30552115PM2.5
July31580100O3
Augustworst31553156O3
September3046074PM2.5
October3155064PM2.5
November3051072PM2.5
December3153070PM2.5

How 2024 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 5th cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2024's median of 53 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Charlotte

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Charlotte's AQI at 73 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Charlotte air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC), 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.