Raleigh Air Quality in August
Across 2019–2025, Raleigh's August air quality had a median AQI of 50 (Good) over 216 monitored days in the Raleigh, NC area. 0.5% of August days (1 of 216) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 74.5% of days. The cleanest August on record here was 2025 (median AQI 40, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 55, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 112).
- Good: 50.5%
- Moderate: 49.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Raleigh in August?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 50 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of August days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓50.5% of August days were Good (AQI 0–50), 49.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 216 reached AQI 101+; the August peak was 112.
- ✓Best August: 2025; worst August: 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Raleigh in August?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Raleigh in August was 50 (Good). 50.5% of days were Good, 49.1% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 216 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is August a good time for outdoor exercise in Raleigh?▾
A typical August day in Raleigh sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of August days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Raleigh's August air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 74.5% of August days in Raleigh. The highest August AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 112 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2024.
Raleigh August air quality, year by year
Raleigh August air quality by year (Raleigh, NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 30 | 45 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 56 | 0 | 75 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 42 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 55 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 31 | 55 | 1 | 112 | PM2.5 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 40 | 0 | 73 | PM2.5 |
What August air means in Raleigh
A typical August day in Raleigh sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of August days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
August's median AQI of 50 is in line with Raleigh's whole-year median of 48, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median August AQI across every EPA metro area (104,152 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 45, so Raleigh runs above the national August norm; 0.5% of its August days topped AQI 100 versus 3.5% nationally (below average).
August is part of Raleigh's summer season (June, July, August); the summer page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Raleigh
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Raleigh's AQI at 47 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Raleigh air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Raleigh, NC), 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.