New York Air Quality in October
Across 2019–2025, New York's October air quality had a median AQI of 50 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area. 0.5% of October days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 76.5% of days. The cleanest October on record here was 2024 (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2025 (median 35, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 105).
- Good: 50.7%
- Moderate: 48.8%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- 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 October?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 50 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of October days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓50.7% of October days were Good (AQI 0–50), 48.8% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the October peak was 105.
- ✓Best October: 2024; worst October: 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in New York in October?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in New York in October was 50 (Good). 50.7% of days were Good, 48.8% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is October a good time for outdoor exercise in New York?▾
A typical October day in New York 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 October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes New York's October air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 76.5% of October days in New York. The highest October AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 105 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2025.
New York October air quality, year by year
New York October 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 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 82 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 53 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 53 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 31 | 47 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2025worst | 31 | 35 | 1 | 105 | PM2.5 |
What October air means in New York
A typical October day in New York 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 October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
October's median AQI of 50 is below New York's whole-year median of 54, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median October AQI across every EPA metro area (102,872 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 38, so New York runs above the national October norm; 0.5% of its October days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).
October is part of New York's fall season (September, October, November); the fall page pools all three months.
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 month 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.