New York Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, New York's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 52 (Moderate) over 637 monitored days in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area. 0.9% of fall days (6 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 77.4% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2022 (median AQI 51, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 52, 2 days above 100, peak AQI 140).
- Good: 45.8%
- Moderate: 53.2%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Extra Protection for New York Homes
Air quality in New York is moderate (AQI 52), 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 New York in fall?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓45.8% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 53.2% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓6 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 140.
- ✓Cleanest month: November; worst month: September.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in New York in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in New York in fall was 52 (Moderate). 45.8% of days were Good, 53.2% Moderate, and 0.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in New York?▾
A typical fall day in New York is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes New York's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 77.4% of fall days in New York. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
New York fall air quality, year by year
New York fall air quality by year (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 52 | 1 | 101 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 53 | 0 | 99 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 91 | 52 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 91 | 51 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 91 | 52 | 2 | 140 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 91 | 47 | 1 | 108 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 91 | 47 | 2 | 105 | PM2.5 |
What fall air means in New York
A typical fall day in New York is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Fall's median AQI of 52 is in line with New York's whole-year median of 54, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so New York runs above the national Fall norm; 0.9% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, November is the cleanest month (median AQI 52, 0.0% of days above 100) and September the worst (median 52, 2.4% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in New York
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts New York's AQI at 52 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current New York air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA), 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.