Charlotte Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Charlotte's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 55 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area. 4.7% of summer days (30 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 55.7% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2025 (median AQI 53, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 62, 10 days above 100, peak AQI 133).
- Good: 37.4%
- Moderate: 57.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 4.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.2%
Extra Protection for Charlotte Homes
Air quality in Charlotte is moderate (AQI 73), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
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How is the air in Charlotte in summer?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 55 across 2019–2025, with 4.7% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓37.4% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 57.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓30 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 156.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: July.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Charlotte in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Charlotte in summer was 55 (Moderate). 37.4% of days were Good, 57.9% Moderate, and 4.7% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Charlotte?▾
A typical summer day in Charlotte is Moderate (median AQI 55): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 21 of summer days (4.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Charlotte's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 55.7% of summer days in Charlotte. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 156 (Unhealthy), in 2019.
Charlotte summer air quality, year by year
Charlotte summer air quality by year (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 92 | 62 | 10 | 133 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 53 | 2 | 112 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 54 | 2 | 128 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 52 | 3 | 126 | O3 |
| 2023 | 92 | 64 | 8 | 150 | O3 |
| 2024 | 92 | 55 | 5 | 156 | O3 |
| 2025cleanest | 92 | 53 | 0 | 97 | PM2.5 |
What summer air means in Charlotte
A typical summer day in Charlotte is Moderate (median AQI 55): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 21 of summer days (4.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Summer's median AQI of 55 is in line with Charlotte's whole-year median of 52, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Charlotte runs above the national Summer norm; 4.7% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 53, 3.3% of days above 100) and July the worst (median 55, 6.9% above 100).
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 season 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.